


A Key For Beginnings

by Yurika



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Angst, Attempt at Humor, Fluff, M/M, ghost au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-20
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-05-15 02:45:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 57,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5768362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yurika/pseuds/Yurika
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A new story starts, when another one ends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [breedafool (YEHFICSMAN)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/YEHFICSMAN/gifts).



> This is an exchange gift for bree!!
> 
> Have fun while reading! (especially you, bree!)

What a beautiful day it was. The sun was shining, the birds singing in the trees and the wind was just hushing silently through the park. Ayano was looking around, her eyes were following her little son, while he ran through the park and played in the sandbox or tried to catch some bugs. After a lengthy sigh she looked up into the sky and closed her eyes. She let the wind graze her skin and caress her hair in a gentle manner. It really was a beautiful day.

"Mommy." A gentle smile overtook her features as she faced her little son.

"What is it, love?" With big brown eyes Kouki first looked to her and then nervously to his right side.

"Can I play with my new friend down there?" Ayano followed the finger to the direction Kouki was pointing. There were some bushes and tree. When she returned her gaze towards Kouki she smiled at the lovely honey colour of Kouki's eyes. The sun was playing a cunning game with the shades of his beautiful brown eyes.

"Of course, but don't get out of my sight."

"Okay!" Beaming with happiness Kouki showed a full toothed grin, to which Ayano responded with a warm smile. Ayano was watching him as he ran towards the spot he had pointed.

"Here, Mommy?"

Ayano placed her hands like a funnel in front of her mouth. "I can see you, love. But don't go further away, okay?" She shouted laughing right after. Kouki was a lovely child, sometimes she asked herself, how she could have deserved such a sweet and wonderful light of hope in her life.

"Okay!" She heard him shouting, but soon enough dove into her own thoughts.

Thoughts about days, weeks and even months she wished to forget more than anything else. She bit her bottom lip. It had been hard for Kouki too. The situation itself was hard to deal with, even she had still problems with it, everything was as hard as the first day. To lose such an important person to ones life was painful and exhausting. Tears formed at the rims of her eyes. He after all had been such a loving husband and even more loving father. A shaky breath escaped her lips. At first they both had cried, they did for days on end, when the wound was newly inflicted and burned with an intensity that didn't let go of Ayano's limbs. But now she had to get things together, be strong enough to show Kouki that crying was okay but not falling into despair after a loss. She exhaled shakily. What an unforgiving world this was.

Kouki also had grieved a long time after his tears stopped. Though contrary to what many of her relatives told Ayano, Kouki never asked about the whereabouts of his father, didn't ask her to bring him back. It was like he had understood with his childish mind what happened, even faster than Ayano herself could believe and grasp it. She still had problems remembering it, when she woke up and patted the side of her bed in search for her husband. But he had accepted it with a sad look on his face which he still bore when he saw other children with their father, but he never asked, he never demanded, he never wanted anything that concerned his father from his mother. Ayano smiled to herself, he was a special child. He understood how hard it was for his mother. Her gaze sharpened again on Kouki. He was running around in the grass, pointing his finger at thin air and laughing at something. She smiled but then squinted her eyes slightly. Hadn't he said, that he wanted to play with a friend? With a confused look on her face Ayano stood up from the bench and walked slowly up to her son.

"Love?" Kouki looked up to her with an asking expression.

"Yes, mommy?" His arm was still mid-air from playing around and his face was looking concerned to his mother. "Couldn't you see me, mommy?" He asked with an apologetic look.

"I... No, love. Everything was fine, I was just wondering where your friend is." She smiled at Kouki and watched him look confused between her and the air beside him.

"You can't see him?" He asked in disbelief and looked once again at her and then to his side.

"I uh..." She paused mid-speech, what was going on with him? Maybe an imaginary friend? "Oh, right." She laughed. "I just..." She stopped again, would it be alright if she lied about seeing him?

"Mommy, Sei told me that you can't see him." Kouki looked thoughtful. "B-But don't be sad mommy, I can describe him to you, if you want to."

She smiled, he indeed was a bright child, he even realized when she tried to be a little dishonest. "Okay. Do so please." A warm smile played on her lips before she looked at her watch. "But please do so on our way home. It's late." She held out her hand and saw the indecisive look in Kouki's face. He was looking at the air beside him and then to the hand of his mother. Ayano laughed to herself. Most likely he was concerned if he could take Sei home with him. "Tell, Sei, that he can come with us."

"You heard that, Sei?" He was beaming from ear to ear before he took his mother's hand.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

At home Ayano took off her shoes, jacket and then watched over Kouki. He had learned to dress himself but sometimes he still needed help and just as the thought crossed her mind, Kouki began to struggle to unzip his jacket.

"Come here, let me help you, Kouki." She knelt down in front of him and saw the red embarrassed cheeks of her son. "Ah, dear, don't be embarrassed your zipper stuck, see." She held it up a little to show him. "It's reeeaaally hard to open a stuck zipper." She smiled at him. "Even Mommy struggles with it, look." As a short demonstration Ayano tugged at the zipper two times. Things like this happened from time to time and it would not help to get unnerved, she had to ensure that Kouki tried even after he failed and that he wouldn't do if she discouraged him at little tasks like this one. She fumbled a little bit longer with the zipper. "Now take your jacket off." After smiling reassuringly towards Kouki she stood up.

"Mommy!" Her head spun around in concern.

"Wh-What happened?" With a concerned gaze she inspected Kouki, was he hurt?

"Sei..." his gaze shifted to the door. "He is still..."

Ayano sighed relieved. "I see... Is he is still outside?"

He nodded jerkily and looked with big sad eyes to Ayano. Without asking anything else Ayano opened the door and looked towards Kouki.

"Did he go inside?" Little Kouki nodded rapidly and smiled up to Ayano, after that she closed the door and watched Kouki dash into their flat, a smile was embed on her face. His little feet were tapping over the wooden floor as he ran into his room.

"Mommy, I will show Sei my room." Was the last thing he shouted before he disappeared in his room.

Ayano just laughed silently to herself, what a cute child she had. Then she went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Humming a silent song to herself she sliced up vegetables for the soup. Cooking was relaxing in its own way, Ayano's features softened as she stirred the soup and looked up to the clock. Their day had ended pretty fast. When the soup was ready she began to set the table. With a thoughtful look she then looked at the two plates she held in her hands. She really had to research about imaginary friends if she wanted to handle this situation the best possible way. Kouki was precious, he should never lose his smile or his wish to try and archive best. Humming she took out a third plate. It was better than acting in a way that would break his heart.

"Kouki!" She shouted loud enough for him to hear.

"Yes?" Came from his room.

"Dinner is ready, love!"

As the boy entered the kitchen and seated himself on one of the chairs he watched the third plate thoughtfully. "Is a someone eating with us?" He asked looking to his mother.

"I thought, Sei might want to eat too." She answered smiling as she reached for Kouki's plate to fill in some of the soup.

"Oh, right!" He watched his mother set the plate in front of him. "Sei said, that he doesn't want to eat." He then explained before starting to eat.

"Ah, I see." Ayano replied and sat down after taking some of the soup for herself. "Will he eat with us next time?" She asked watching Kouki.

The little boy looked up from his plate. "No." He answered simply and proceeded to eat.

"I see." There was no fighting it, also it was by far easier than to clean up one more plate. "So... What is Sei like?" She asked, they hadn't had the chance to speak about it on their way home. A friend had seen Ayano, so both of them had talked about the past and their lives now. Little Kouki just had been silent on their walk home.

"Oh! Right! You can't see Sei..." He said furrowing his brows. "He has a yellow and a red eye! Like my crayons."

"Yellow and red? A little bit odd, isn't it?" Her attention was on Kouki.

"Yes... But it looks nice on him!" He grinned up to her.

"What else?"She smiled reassuringly towards him.

"And... And he wears reeeaaally expensive looking clothes and is very very tall, Mommy."

"Wow!" She remarked playfully. "What else? Does he like to play with you?"

"Yep! I think he does... He... I mean he came with us!" He smiled as he ate the remains of his soup.

"Right, he did." Ayano smiled. "You want some more?" She asked pointing at Kouki's plate.

"Nope, I'm full. It was yummy!" Was the last thing the little boy said before he jumped down his chair.

Ayano chuckled to herself, this could get very interesting. She stood up to tidy up the kitchen. Though, she still had to research on the subject of imaginary friends, it was very important to know why things like this happened.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ayano tugged Kouki in his bed.

"Good night, sweety." She kissed his forehead. "Have a nice sleep."

"Night, Mommy." He yawned and burrowed himself deeper under his blanket.

"I'm leaving the door open, okay?" Ayano was standing in the door frame as she looked to her son.

"Okay." Was his silent response.

She turned off the light and went to the living room. Their flat was small and she could hear the way Kouki shifted under his covers. Those sounds calmed her mind, and gave her something to hold onto and think about before going to sleep. She yawned, she was already tired. Maybe the stress was aging her faster. She cracked a sad smile. After rubbing over her eyes, she took her laptop and opened up a search machine. 'Imaginary friend' was what she typed in. She clicked through several articles about the offspring of those friends, and found one which supported her own theory.

The imaginary friend was perhaps a reaction to the loss of his father. That also explained why his imaginary friend was human. She yawned again. She really was tired, rubbing her neck she searched more about how she should handle the situation. To her surprise the way she reacted, was exactly what the different people told to do. The forums also told about how this imaginary friend could be used to find out more about the mental state of her child. Who knew what kind of new things she could learn about Kouki this way.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Ayano was sitting in her room, finishing another painting. She loved the way the brush glided over the surface, the vibrant colours of her oil paints. She inhaled deeply, the smell was something she was accustomed to and found comfort in. Kouki was playing in the living room, she could hear him through the door and the thin walls. Maybe he would tell Ayano another story about what Sei told him? Maybe, Ayano thought to herself, maybe she could paint Sei at some point. His oddly coloured hair, his mismatched eyes, his way too formal wear.

The brush slid over the white canvas, the green colour bright and real like the leaves in summer and spring. This was one of her jobs, but as she loved painting this felt less like a job, but more like some kind of stress relieve from her part time job. She wasn't able to work full time, not yet at least. Kouki was still too small to be left alone in their flat and her paintings were another income, so they were able to make it through the months. She rubbed over her right eye with the back of her hand. The old shirt she wore was one of her deceased husband. It somehow still had his faint scent.

A sad smile was on her lips as she brought down her brush and rolled it between her fingers watching the bright green colour at the brush's end. Then she directed her eyes to the now half finished work. She was painting a garden. A soft green lawn was covering the bottom, in the middle a white table with two chairs, and around this table were rose bushes with red roses. She smiled. One of her prior classmates had found her and contacted her to ask for a painting. Though just as her, he would also lose an important person to him, his wife. She looked at the half finished painting, maybe she should take a break to fix something to eat. With a yawn she stretched and stood up. Yes, something to eat would be brilliant. Her steps lead her out of the room, after closing the door behind herself she walked to the kitchen and took an apple.

She took a bite and walked to the living room. Kouki was sitting on the ground and drawing something with his crayon. When he noticed Ayano entering he looked up and grinned. He slowly stood up and straightened his clothes. Ayano laughed silently and watched him walk towards her after taking the sheet of paper on the table.

"Mommy, I drew Sei." He said and reached his drawing with a proud smile up to Ayano.

After taking the drawing into her hands she inspected it. It was a scribble like any other child would make. The hair tousled, eyes huge when compared to the body, yet it was the cutest thing Ayano had ever seen.

"Woah!" She exclaimed and brought the paper near to her face. "The colours you chose are amazing!" She squatted down in front of Kouki, patted his head and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "If you draw more, then one day you will become a reeaally good artist." A warm smile overtook her features.

The smile in her face was still present as she handed the drawing back to Kouki. The kid took it with a big smile in his face and sat back down at his little table.

"Sei, see, she liked it." Kouki huffed with a pout on his face and his arms crossed in front of his chest. "The drawing was good." The tone he used was decisive and sounded like he tried to convince someone of what he said. Though soon after his pout dropped to a sad look on his face, before he turned to face his mother. Ayano looked surprised to Kouki, why would he be sad all of a sudden?

"Mommy, did you really like it?" He asked now less confident than before.

Ayano's eyebrow arched in surprise. "Why wouldn't I like it, love?"

"Sei said, that my drawing isn't really good..." To the end of his sentence Kouki trailed off and looked defeated on his drawing.

"Wh- What?" Ayano knew that Kouki lacked confidence, but he always made up for it with his determination. "No, I really love it!" After walking towards Kouki she knelt down beside him. Lying her hand on his shoulder she spoke on. "Your drawing is not perfect, love." Kouki looked up to her with a hurt look in his face. "But, we spoke about it before, didn't we? There is no such thing as perfect. Everybody makes mistakes and you can just learn more and more as you try harder."

"B-But your paintings are perfect..." His brows furrowed. "Why am I not as good as you, mommy?"

Ayano breathed in deep and then out. She collected her son in her arms and pulled him onto her lap. "Look, love. Mommy wasn't always good in painting." She kissed his head. "But Mommy loved it to paint, so she never gave up." She spoke against Kouki's head and kissed him again. "Nobody can do things from the very start. Even the most talented people have to practice to get better." With this she looked into Kouki's eyes. "Do you understand, Kouki?" The little boy was just nodding, still sad. Ayano sighed. "Look, Kouki. Don't be sad when you can't do everything from the beginning. The most important part is to try and learn new things. Okay?" Again Kouki just nodded, still sad eyes directed to his drawing.

It was sad, it really was. Ayano lay her head on the one of Kouki. He liked to draw but the sudden change really surprised and scared Ayano. Why would he think about how childish or scribbly his drawings looked all of a sudden? Why would he stop to try? She huffed and kissed Kouki again. Was this something he thought about often? Hadn't Ayano realized it up until now? She looked at Kouki with sad eyes.

"Come, let's get something to eat." Was the last thing she said, before helping Kouki to stand up.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

From that day on Ayano watched Kouki's reactions and words closer, tried to decipher eventual problems and insecurities her child may have. The only thing she noticed though, was that this imaginary friend of his put more negative thoughts into his mind than Kouki ever had. He was more self-conscious, never really content with what he archived as long as it was not perfect. At some point Ayano even had the thought to get him to a psychiatrist. Though before that she decided to speak with Kouki and Sei about this problem. It might have an impact on things when she tried to speak with both of them.

"Kouki, dear?" She knocked at Kouki's door. "Can I come in?"

"Yes, Mommy..." He seemed to be sad again.

Carefully she opened the door and closed it right after herself. She saw a drawing on the floor and Kouki sitting on his bed, embracing his knees.

"We have to talk. All three of us. Is Sei here too?" She asked looking around in the room, even though she knew that she wouldn't be able to see him.

"Yes.." He looked up to his mother. "What is it, Mommy?"

"It's about the things Sei tells you." She sat down beside Kouki.

"Uhm... Okay.."

"Are you still unhappy about what you can?" She looked her son in the eyes.

"I... It's just... Why am I so bad in everything?" His lips were quivering as he looked up to his mother. "I can't do anything." He hid his face behind his knees and Ayano could see that he was crying, his shoulders were shaking and his silent sobs filled the room.

"Love?" Ayano stood up from the bed and crouched in front of Kouki. "Love, look at me." She waited for him to look up. "You are doing all of this, don't you? These beautiful drawings, the gifts you make for mommy, when you help with dinner, when you put on your clothes. This everything, you can do all of them, can't you?"

The little boy nodded. "It doesn't have to be perfect to call it an achievement. Everyone starts small just as you." She poked Kouki's nose, he smiled faintly at the gesture. "And Sei can't be always right, just because he was such a great person." She smiled. "For once he doesn't appreciate that people try. If they can't do it from the very beginning, then they try again. That's all humans are about." After looking around in the room she once again turned to Kouki. "Tell me, love. Where is Sei right now?"

"There." Kouki showed to the opposite wall.

"Here?" Ayano stood up and felt somehow weird when she walked up to the wall and looked at it. "Listen, Sei. You have to stop being so mean to Kouki." She was seriously getting angry at thin air. "He tries his best and that is what counts. I don't care if you think that perfection is necessary to be successful. So please stop telling him that he isn't good at the things he does..." Her voice subdued to the end. "He is such a sweet and precious child, he tries his best and that's what's important, don't you think? You shouldn't push burdens onto him that are not necessary." She took a deep breath and turned back to Kouki. "He understood me, didn't he?"

Kouki nodded in response. "He says, that he did."

"Okay." Ayano walked back to Kouki, kissed his forehead and then walked out of the room. Dinner wouldn't make itself and she still had to shake off the weird creeping feeling from talking to Kouki's imaginary friend.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

With a yawn Furihata woke up. Why did school have to start in such an early hour? He rubbed over his eyes and straightened up. His body was still aching from the training a day prior. Riko was a real monster. Hoping that said coach didn't hear his thoughts he stood up from his bed. His daily routine wasn't anything special, just eating something, brushing his teeth and then finally starting to dress. He yawned scratching over his stomach and dragged his feet towards kitchen. His mother had already left for work, yet there was something to eat on the kitchen table. Furihata smiled. He had often enough told his mother, that he could take care of these things on his own now, but she was insistent and didn't stop. It wasn't like he didn't appreciate the gesture, but it had to be bothersome for her to make all of this before going to work. He ate silently and just proceeded his daily routine.

After locking the door his new day of school had begun.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"I'm back." Even though the knowledge that his mother wasn't back was seated in the back of his mind, he couldn't stop this habit of his. Somehow when he said this little phrase it felt less alone at home. He closed the door behind himself and was about to take off his shoes.

"You have grown." Furihata squeaked as his head jerked up to face another person. As tall as him, no taller than him, pale silver hair, amber eyes and his clothes looked more than just expensive.

"Wh- How did you get inside?" He managed to say between his teeth, his eyes were still wide as he watched the other walk up to him. Furihata took a step back, what did this stranger want from him?

"You do not remember me?" Blinking Furihata gazed at the man standing in front of him from head to toe. He squinted his eyes as he tried to remember anyone similar to this stranger, yet there was nothing apart from a far feeling of recognition. It was hazy at the back of his mind, so there was no way that he could grasp it.

"No." The answer was short, he shifted uncomfortably from foot to the other. "I'm sorry."

"There is no need to apologize. I feared worse than what is happening now." The person stepped closer to Furihata, his piercing amber eyes seemed to observe each of Furihata's movements. "You may want to know my name. I am Kohaku Seijuurou. Pleasure to meet you again, Kouki."

"Hello, Kohaku-san." He was still put off by the sudden appearance of the person.

"It would be a pleasure, if you could call me Sei. Like you used to."

"Hello, Sei?" His voice cracked to the end, who was this strange person?

"I have the feeling, that you still do not believe my words." Furihata just stared, he really should stop, yet how could he when this feeling of surrealism was capturing him. "Very well. Let me show you a painting from your Mother. Your drawings as well. Your mother was a sweet person, she kept each drawing of yours. After you please."

The disbelieve was still present in Furihata's face as he walked past Sei and into his mother's room. Her bed was made but her working place a mess as ever. She wasn't selling her paintings anymore but she still wouldn't lay aside her brush, it was her passion, she would say when she worked on a new painting. Kouki inspected her workplace, he didn't go inside this room often, or rather never when she wasn't around to ask. Yet in that moment he just went inside and looked into the wardrobe his mother kept her paintings. All of them were beautiful, he stroked over the surface. He was always left in awe of how talented his mother was.

He looked at each of he paintings until he found one that really had a person that resembled Sei. Carefully he took it out of the wardrobe. While inspecting it he walked out of his mother's room and towards the living room. Sei hadn't followed him but went into the living room instead. With a thoughtful look in his face Furihata looked at the painting and then to Sei. It was incredible. Apart from slight differences Sei looked exactly like the person on the painting. Though then he saw a difference which bugged him. It was the eyes. Furihata squinted his eyes and noticed that the person on the painting had a red and a yellow eye, yet the person sitting in front of him had two yellow eyes -a piercing amber colour.

"So you are him?" Furihata asked and looked towards the man.

"Indeed."

"But the eyes."Furihata showed Sei the painting. "Are different."

"Oh, yes." The other responded. "There is a difference. Yet I can assure you that we are the same person." There was a faint smile on Sei's face. "If you please, you can ask your mother. Though do not mention me before asking her about the painting. It may lead to major confusions." His smile was still present as he walked past Furihata and towards the door. "Now pardon me. I have to leave."

Furihata's eyes widened as he watched Sei walk through the door, without thinking twice Furihata stumbled over and yanked the door open, in front of him standing though, was his mother.

"Kouki?"

"Oh, uh... Hey, Mom. You are early today." He said awkwardly as he tried to gain back his balance. Though, soon enough he asked himself if he had day dreamed the whole exchange prior. This thought was discarded as soon as he stepped back into the living room. The painting was still there, where he had left it after Sei mentioned that he had to leave. Furihata swallowed.

"Uh... Mom?" He eyed the painting from the rims of his eyes.

"Yes, Love?" She looked out of the kitchen towards the living room.

"Uhm... I found this painting... In.. uh.. Between your other paintings."

"Which one?" She asked as she walked towards the living room.

"This one." Furihata picked up the painting and showed it his mother.

"Ah! Sei. Did you forget him already?" Her soft hazel eyes were resting on him. Then she laughed. "He was your imaginary friend. Not the nicest person, but you really liked him." She said simply. "Though one day he suddenly disappeared, you were sad and silent for some days, nearly a week. I was really concerned about you around that time. I guess you were one of those few children who thought their imaginary friend to be real." There was a faint smile on her face as she turned around to go to the kitchen. "He is quite handsome, don't you think?" She added turning her head towards him and winking then she laughed again. "Anyway, do you want anything special for dinner?" Was what she asked as she began to walk towards their kitchen.

"No..." Furihata's voice toned down to the end. An imaginary friend...

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Some days passed and Furihata began to think that maybe this little incident had other reasons than him seeing an imaginary person. After all otherwise he might be somehow crazy, or not? He huffed as he sat down. His mother gave him the painting after he asked her. It was lying against his bookshelf, the piercing eyes seemed like they looked into Furihata's very soul.

"Is something bothering you?" Furihata straightened up abruptly from his lying position and looked around in his room. "Do not be scared. It is me."

"Don't creep up on me like that." Furihata said clutching his shirt. "And yes there is something."

"Oh? What is it?" Sei neared him and sat down on Furihata's bed. "Do you wish to speak about it?"

"I... My mother can't see you, am I correct?"

"Hmm. Yes."

"Anyone else?"

"No. Just you so far, and children. Yeah children tend to see me. Though why is it that you can see me after you grew up. I was not prepared for you to react after I visited again."

"You... What?" Furihata threw his hands into the air. "I am going crazy. Seeing people who don't exist to adults." He squinted his eyes as his gaze returned to Sei.

"Stay calm. Though, adults may not see me, I can assure you that I am as real as you." Sei looked on his fingernails. "Even though my existence is quite different to yours. Not being able to touch and be seen is quite the burden."

"Oh my god." Furihata buried his face into his palms, this couldn't -shouldn't- be real, yet when he looked between his fingers that very person, who messed up Furihata's mind, was sitting on his bed. "It really sounds like you don't exist in this world, you know that, don't you?" He looked into the eyes of Sei.

"That is a fairly useful thought you have there."Sei stood up from the bed and walked to the opposite wall, his eyes settled on Furihata. "And I have to admit that you are not quite wrong. I once belonged to this world but my existence was wiped from the surface of earth a long time ago. My soul though does not seem to find the same rest as my body."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Furihata exclaimed waving his hands. "I did understand this right, you once existed? Like lived? You were human? Are you seriously telling me, that you are a ghost?"

"Indeed. What else could I be?" The look Furihata received made him cringe. Sei wasn't joking around.

"I am going crazy." Furihata stood up, now pacing up and down in his room. "I am seriously going crazy!" He exclaimed a tad too loud and clasped then his hands in front of his mouth. He didn't want his mother to wake up. "What am I going to do with this information?" He whispered though his fingers.

"I do not know that yet, but we will figure out." A thoughtful look settled on Sei's face. "Though, a thought occurred to me just now. You may be able to help me to get my well deserved rest after death. I do dislike to ask people for help, as it shows a person's weaknesses that should not exist. Yet in this case I have no other option. I cannot touch anything without it going through my body as if I do not exist. It is frustrating and not very helpful when trying to research on certain matters."

Furihata looked baffled towards Sei. "I have to help you?"

"Indeed. Now go to rest. I will return tomorrow morning."

The only thing Furihata was capable of doing was stare as Sei left through the window. What in the love of god was going on?

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The night had been a terrible one. Furihata yawned. It really was more than just terrible. Dragging his feet he went into the bathroom to inspect his reflection. He looked like dead. Eyes still half closed and face pale. Great. Yawning he went into the kitchen, maybe something to eat and tea could get him back to his senses. School would become a pain at this rate.

"Good morning." Furihata spun around on his heels and stared wide eyed towards the intrude. Excellent, he really kept his word. "You have not slept?"

"No." Furihata grumbled back and prepared some tea. "How could I after your amazing revelation." The biting tone in his voice couldn't be overheard.

"I advise you to stay polite, Kouki. Even though I cannot touch you, I too have my ways."

Furihata sighed as he sat down to eat something and drink his tea. "How do you plan this to work." He asked looking up to Sei. "I mean, I can and will help you, but I have no clue where to start." He added right after and begin to eat. "Oh, sorry. I would offer you something. But uh... Can you eat?"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Those were the puppy-like eyes Kohaku had liked the moment he saw them. They had reminded him of a person he knew from the time he was still alive. A person that had been dear to him.

"No. Though, I do not mind you eating. I will wait. I am waiting since uncountable years after all."

"Sorry." The teen added.

Kohaku obviously had watched out for the boy from time to time, after he had left. But now and again it still surprised him how much he had not witnessed when they parted ways. It had been Kohaku's choice of course. It was after the kid's mother spoke to him, even though she could not see him. Her hurt looking eyes were what shook him back to his senses. A woman filled with wonders, who loved her child more than anything else. She too had lost people dear to her, yet seemed to remain someone so very loving. It was quite different to the people he got to know when alive and dead. So it had been her who changed his mind again after he had lost hope for humanity, after he was convinced for so many years that there wasn't anything good left on earth.

"To answer your question. We will visit the library and the mansion my family owned when I was alive. It is still in possession of my bloodline. Though the surname seems to have changed, nonetheless we are related, the name is Akashi. You may have seen one of my grandnephews. Though, I cannot tell how many years lay apart between us. It still is wondrous how they dared to use my name as the lad's. I just hope he will not share the same fate as mine. Though, I saw similarities which even frighten me."

"Akashi. You don't mean the Akashi from Rakuzan?" The teen's eyes were wide.

Was the kid scared of his grandnephew? What a laughable gesture, though he could not blame the lad. This nephew of his showed more than just one similarity to him.

"School." Was what Kohaku replied.

"Oh no!" He heard the teen shout as he stumbled to his room. A very interesting child, indeed.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

He had to speak to Akashi Seijuurou, the Akashi Seijuurou and not Sei. It was weird, they resembled each other fairly much, the hair -even though a different colour- the forename even the expensive looking clothes. How hadn't he seen it before? Though to be fair, his encounter with Akashi hadn't been nice, apart from the shock of his actions he just vaguely remembered how Akashi looked. Furihata gulped and tried to take notes but to no avail. His mind wouldn't let go of the fact that firstly, he could see a ghost, which persistently stuck to his heels and waited outside of school for him and secondly he had to talk to Akashi Seijuurou. He massaged his temples, this would be hell. He was losing the feeling in his limbs, great. Fear wasn't something he witnessed willingly, but who wouldn't be scared if they had to talk to Akashi Seijuurou of all people, and not just talk to him but also ask him for a favour of going through his mansion. Great. The bell rang to end his class and he began to pack his belongings slowly until he remembered that shit he had still training. He may have run in a record time that day as he got to training.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"I will speak to Akashi after the Winter Cup." Furihata whispered burying his face in his scarf after he left school that day. "There is still some time until then. But before that I don't know if I can get myself to just speak to him..."

"I see. Then I hope you will not mind my company up until that day. You see it gets lonely as a ghost who cannot be seen." Sei explained.

"I don't mind. But please stop coming to my school." He looked around nervously as he walked. "The people will think that I'm crazy or something."

"I will do my best to not becoming a bother." Furihata looked towards him.

"Well, we could still got to library today. I just have to take a shower at home."

"Wonderful."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Well, the trip to the library was pretty weird." Furihata laughed as he sat down his bag and began to take off his coat. "All that stuff about ghosts, yet nothing useful." He laughed on. "Though some of the stuff was very funny. I can't stop thinking about that guy who told about how a ghost was possessing his mom, just because she was cooking differently."

"Indeed, that one was a rare gem among the other stories we found." A broad smile was present on Sei's lips.

"She cooks more spicy recently, and I am sure that my aunt cooked that way before she died. Please help me my mom is possessed by my aunt and she hated me." Furihata clutched his stomach and laughed on. "I can't stop laughing."

"Who believed that idiocy to be true?" Sei added starting to laugh too, not as loud as Furihata though.

"Yes! He even spoke about how that one group of ghost hunters or whatever could help him. I just, no." Tears were forming in his eyes.

This went on for some moments until Furihata's laughs slowly died down and made room for a silence in the room which expanded uncomfortably.

"But I'm really sorry we didn't find anything useful. The things that sounded good were things we already knew. Like ghosts existing between the world of ours and the other one where they are sent after finding rest." He sat on his bed.

"It was a necessity to achieve our goal. Do not forget what your mother told you, Kouki. Humanity's way is marked with nothing but the mere trial to a goal. They succeed after trying their hardest."

Again silence filled the room. "Maybe we can find some leads on the internet." Furihata broke the silence and stood up.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The technology of the new age did not fail to impress Kohaku. The world was connected in a whole new way. The way Kouki's fingers typed over the buttons and words appeared on the flat screen. It was like black magic. He had watched all this process in the last century. It couldn't ever be compared to how the world looked in the past. He heard Kouki sigh in defeat.

"Again most of it just rubbish." The teen scratched his nape. "But I will read a bit more. This forum seems to be promising."

Kohaku watched Kouki. His eyes softened, memories from his passed life finding their way into his mind. He smiled faintly. So many wonderful memories that he had made with that person. Black hair, soft dark eyes and a voice which would put angels to shame. That was the person Kohaku kept in the deepest corner of his heart. A person which had shaped him to a nicer human and gave him some of the most wonderful moments in his lifetime. He had been determined, hopelessly cute and way too handsome for his own good.

"Sei, here is something written about memory loss. Did you lose your memories?" Kohaku was shaken out of his thoughts and focused on the teen.

"No." He replied shortly and watched the other turn his head back to the display.

No he hadn't forgotten anything about his past. Not the way his father treated him, not a single day society kept him from his wishes, and of course not him. Him he could not forget ever. Though he wished that he could forget the day he died, the day his life ended.

"Is there anyone you want dead?" Kouki was once again looking at him.

"Pardon me?"

"Someone you want dead. Anyone who killed you and you wander around for revenge?"

"Even though there were a couple of people I would gladly take revenge on. Non of them is alive anymore." Kohaku replied coldly.

"I see..." The teen's gaze once again glued on the screen.

No one to take revenge on. Even if he had nothing could have changed, nothing could have turned time back to undo what happened.

"Any regrets?" Again the teen was turned towards him.

This time Kohaku stocked in his reply. He couldn't answer, it would mean to tell things about himself which went further than his name or family. He looked aside, yet he could not let Kouki down. The kid was doing everything he could to help him.

"Yes." He answered and straightened up his posture. Straight spine, head high.

"I knew this could be of some help!" Kouki beamed and stood up after shutting down the computer. He stretched and turned towards Kohaku. His face was serious.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

This wouldn't be easy to talk about. Not for Furihata and most probably not for Sei, as he had stocked before answering. This regret of his seemed to go deeper than anything that was related to his family.

"Sei, you have to tell me what you relate with your regret, what exactly it is, that you regret." Furihata bit the inside of his cheek.

"It is nothing of worldly virtue that I regret. It is bound in my chest, in my memories. A regret which haunts me even now as it seems. I do not think of it constantly but now and again it returns to me. Clawing at my ghostly mind and accusing me of what I did, filling my chest with hatred for this world but especially myself." The prior straight spine slumped, shoulders not squared but hunched down, in his face was a defeated look.

"Do you mind speaking about it?" Maybe his first approach had been wrong. It had sounded like an order, as if this everything wasn't something personal. Yet Furihata could clearly see, that Sei was hurting even without a body, his exhausted eyes were nearly too much to handle.

"I do mind. It is not a memory I hold dearly to me. If I was allowed to choose a way of handling it, I would choose forgetting. Yet it is burned into my mind, a memory of my only regret as I was alive."

Furihata's gaze turned to the ground. "I am sorry for asking, but I think it will be a great help if we want to accomplish what you wish."

"I was afraid that it would come to this. It is a long story, if you don't mind I would prefer to start with how it began, a slight tale of my happiness to weigh out the pain I will feel at the end. May I?"

Almost immediately Furihata responded. "Of course." His eyes softened with a hue of empathy. "Start where you think it to be most fitting. I will listen."

"Just as other stories which resemble this one, mine also started with a friendship. A friendship that enriched my heart and soul...

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_"My name is Masaaki Hokata. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kohaku-san."_

_"Kohaku Seijuurou, the pleasure is mine, Hokata."_

_The surprise in the other's features was not hidden in fear but obviously displayed as he looked into Kohaku's eyes. That he didn't fear Kohaku's presence most likely was, because he himself had one of the most intimidating people as a father. This guy wouldn't scare away from a mental or verbal sparing with Kohaku._

_"I fear that we are not familiar enough to use each other's forenames, Kohaku-san." The teen straightened up to his full height, even though he was shorter than Kohaku, he was displaying that he did not fear the other the slightest bit. Kohaku cracked a smile, interesting._

_Their fathers were not present, even though Kohaku dared many things when he communicated with other people -like using their forenames when speaking to them- he would never dare to do it in front of his father, especially not towards the son of a friend._

_"Well, Hokata, I fear that I will not settle to use your surname. Your father may have more power than I do, but you, Hokata, I doubt that you posses such power over me." His smile didn't disappear from his face as he said those things. His mismatched eyes were studying the other's face carefully. This person who dared to correct him._

_Dark brown eyes were still directed to Kohaku, his face devoid of emotions before he spoke again. "Then I doubt, that you will have a problem if I were to use your forename, Sei." Then the teen smiled, the prior emotionless mask cracked and revealed a face underneath which contained more emotions than Kohaku had ever seen on a person's face. It lit up into a smile but soon turned into a childish laugh as the other playfully placed a hand on Kohaku's shoulder, his eyes were closed as he laughed. Kohaku though tensed up by the sudden contact._

_"I would've never thought of you as person, who would be so rude, Akash- uh Sei." He laughed a little more as he patted Kohaku's shoulder. "Anyway, now that I know it I don't need to behave like the number one candidate to the Masaaki family throne of money, I guess. I mean I doubt, that you'd tell my father?" He opened his eyes and looked once again directly in Kohaku's face._

_For Kohaku it seemed like those brown eyes were drawing him in. They were dark, so dark indeed that they seemed to contain mysteries people would dream to resolve. Kohaku swallowed before he found a way to answer. Even though he was composed in all situations that could intimidate any grown man, with people like this one he struggled from time to time. He shortly closed his eyes, when he opened them his tense body relaxed and amber eyes looked into dark brown ones._

_"Wow, do that again." Masaaki said in disbelieve. "Your eyes, they..." Blinking a few times as he observed Kohaku's eyes further._

_"You will understand in due time, if we were to meet again, Masaaki-san." A soft smile played on Kohaku's lips, a smile which surprisingly reached his eyes._

_"Oh?" The teen once again studied Kohaku's eyes, before he huffed and turned his head away. "Whatever, but what I also realized is that you seem to call me by my surname now? Surprising. But don't get any ideas, that I will stop to call you Sei. That nickname is way too cute to stop using it." Grinning wide Masaaki stepped a few steps towards Kohaku. "Say, do you know, what our fathers speak about?" His eyes flicked once to Kohaku before he whispered on. "I mean it has to be something important, otherwise my father would have found someone to let me stay with. He is not prone to take me along to one of his friends."_

_"I have to disappoint you. But my father never tells me about his plans beforehand."_

_"Aww, that's quite disappointing." Masaaki stepped away from Kohaku and looked around in the hall. "Say, will you show my your room? I mean the hall is quite beautiful but not as relaxing as a room you know. Also, I think that our fathers will take some time with their... talk. So we could to something fun meanwhile." Again that person grinned wide._

_Kohaku though just nodded, again the feeling, of how different this person was to anyone else Kohaku had ever met, settled into his mind._

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"So that's the way you met?" Furihata gazed up to Sei.

"Indeed. Interesting, isn't it?" Sei smiled as his gaze wandered to the window, looking out into the distance.

"It is, but he mentioned your eyes. So he noticed a change from the very beginning." A thoughtful look settled on Furihata's face.

"Yes, he did. Even my father never noticed it, but Hotaka did. Yet again my father may have noticed it, but chose to ignore it. A wise decision, I never had problems dealing with myself." His eyes turned towards Furihata. "Do you have questions up until now?"

"No, all seems clear to me until now, even though I'm concerned about your split personality. You said Akashi Seijuurou -your grandnephew- is similar to you. Does it count for this too?"

"All in due time, Kouki." A sad smile played on his lips. "Shall I continue the story now? Or are you tired?"

"Please continue." Furihata smiled reassuringly."Oh wait!"

"Hm?"

"I forgot to ask one thing, how old were you when you met?"

"14. However, we did become good friends. We visited each other from time to time. Our fathers did not seem to mind as long as our friendship was bound to the ground and did not interfere in our studies. It was a win-win situation for them, the companies were partners for a long time and our friendship would enhance the chance of it staying that way...

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_"Seijuurou."_

_"Yes, father?"_

_"You seem to get along fairly well with the son of Masaaki-san."_

_"..."_

_"However, I hope you do understand the value of the partnership our companies share, if you were to get into a fight over insignificant matters with Masaaki-san's son please be sure to stay professional."_

_"Yes, father."_

_"Also, if you were to meet his son again in near future, please be sure about learning of their future plans. The plans of the company that is. His father even though a significant partner may hide certain things from me. Be sure to report to me."_

_"..."_

_"Seijuurou. I fear you did not listen carefully. Look into my eyes, son."_

_"..."_

_"I said. Look up."_

_"..."_

_"Very well, now listen. I will not repeat it. Ask Masaaki-san's son about their future plans for their company, then report to me, did you understood?"_

_"..."_

_"I asked, did you understand?"_

_"..."_

_"How dare you defy me?"_

_Kohaku didn't even flinch when the strike was brought down upon his face. His cheek was stinging, but his lips were sealed, never in his life could he ask Masaaki about the company without tearing their friendship apart. Their fathers and companies would never be a part of their conversation. Those little times after all were just reserved to heal their minds and exhausted bodies from those demons of their life._

_"Now go, before worse happens. Sent your brother Junichi up to my room. You are dismissed."_

_Often enough his father's levelled yet biting tone managed to send shivers and fear down Kohaku's spine, now though he just stared blankly, his mismatched eyes mirroring the anger his father showed without a facade. He bowed to show the respect he did not feel for his father and walked out of the room. His cheek still stung, it had not been the first time and most probably not the last time he would feel this._

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"..not the kindest person."

"Pardon?"

"I said your father is not the kindest person." He was gnawing his bottom lip as his eyes travelled up to Sei. "I mean..."

"Indeed, he was not. Yet I have to say that he had a brilliant mind." A blank expression settled on his face, a mask. "But yes, not the kindest person. He was best in gaining power over people and settle fear into their hearts. I am no different to him."

"But you are... I mean I can tell that you are." Furihata's gaze travelled to the ground.

"Please, Kouki, I do know myself better than you do. You forgot what I did even to you years and years ago." A sad smile played on Sei's lips. "Though just as you mentioned a split personality, back in my time no body cared about certain things, especially mental disorders. I learned about them after my death as I wandered about here in this world. It seems though that mental disorders still are not researched enough." Sei sighed. "I can control both personae. At least change places controlled, I remember what the other me does and so does he. A partnership as you may call it."

With an interested expression Furihata looked up. "I don't know much about split personalities other than that they exist and are a rare occurrences, but I always thought both are different people which don't know much about each other. But yeah that they are in the same body."

Kohaku laughed silently. "Well, yes. Two different people that does explain it fairly well. Luckily though we were always aware of each other."

"That's so fascinating..." Furihata paused. "I... uh... I'm sorry. I mean..." Once again he began to gnaw on his bottom lip, what was he thinking when saying such a thoughtless thing.

A loud laughter filled the room. Furihata looked up confused. "Do not be sorry. I have to admit it is interesting. I would love to discuss further about my disorder, it is important to learn new facts about oneself after all." Sei smiled reassuringly towards Furihata. "Though, now is no time. As soon as I finish we can use this computer of yours for research, maybe even go to the library."

"Of course." Furihata smiled back. "Please continue."

"Very well, as I said we were good friends, it went as far that we became fairly protective over each other..."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_"Let me see your face, Sei." The soft feathery touch of Masaaki's hand tingled where it came to contact with Kohaku's cheek. "It's still red and swollen..." His dark brown eyes shimmered in concern and sadness. "How could that bastard do this to you?! I'm sorry for insulting you in the process, my friend. But why on earth that son- ..." Masaaki fell silent as he observed Kohaku's face further. "Why did he do it? I thought that you were a perfectly capable son, a perfect heir so to call. Contrary to me, yet my father never hit me." His eyes flared up in anger. "Speak, Sei. I beg you."_

_"It is nothing to be concerned over, Hotaka. You seem to have the thoughts that it hurt me in some way. But do believe me that after a certain amount of times this happens you lose any kind of emotion towards such actions." Kohaku smiled. "However, I also have to admit that I had it coming with the way I behaved."_

_"For god's sake! Sei, this is in no way normal. I mean I know that our society supports this kind of action when a kid is disobedient. But hitting a person let alone your own child I cannot stand behind it." Anger was seething in his eyes as he clenched his jaw. "Being disrespectful to your parent is one thing, but hitting someone is one of the worst things I can think of. It's not just violence towards your body but also your soul. It's degrading a human being." Biting his bottom lip he looked up into Kohaku's amber eyes. "You do feel the pain, don't you, Sei? I mean we are friends for quite a while now, I do know that the other one is much better in handling this kind of thing. Being cold that is. But you do feel it, don't you?" Without a second thought Masaaki pulled Kohaku into an embrace. "Please, I beg you, if you feel sad don't bottle things up." He let go and looked into Kohaku's face. "You are not alone anymore."_

_"Yes I know." His expression was blank but soon after a sad smile overtook his features. "I know, Hotaka. And I honestly am grateful to have met you."_

_"Me too." Hotaka smiled and then began to laugh. "Though, please don't be mad if I murder your father if such a thing happens again."_

_First Kohaku looked shocked but it didn't take long for him join in the laughter. He couldn't be mad about said statement, because if there was one thing Kohaku was sure of, then that he would do exactly the same if it had happened to Masaaki._

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"I don't want to assume anything, but are you sure, that the feelings you shared with Masaaki-san were purely friendly?" Gnawing at the insides of his cheek Furihata looked up to Sei, after a while when no answer came he looked to the ground, nervously shuffling his feet. "I... I'm sorry, it was.. a.. uh.. dumb question."

A laughter went through the room and Furihata looked up surprised. "Oh please, do not be afraid of asking such questions. I answered late because I was surprised for you to have guessed it with such an ease. Also, your acceptance over this matter is fairly unexpected."

"Wh-What?"

"You see, I wanted to ease you into my relationship with Hotaka, but as it seems you do not feel disgusted or mortified by this realization." A thoughtful look settled on his face as he watched Furihata's reactions.

"Why would I?" Now it was Furihata's turn to look surprised.

"Times did change, huh?" Sei mumbled under his breath and looked towards the ground and then up to teen. "When I was alive, same-sex relationships were looked down upon, not only that but..." His eyes trailed to the ceiling. "Well... I am glad that you do not seem to mind, Kouki." His gaze turned back to Furihata with a smile playing on his lips.

The teen was scratching the back of his head before he looked up to Sei. "You know, people normally don't decide who they fall in love with. I don't mind either, as long as the people are in a healthy relationship." He smiled. "Apart from that I could easily say that I also had a crush or two on men." A nervous laugh escaped his lips, he really wanted to ease the gloomy mood that had settled into the room. "I don't think that many people mind homosexuality nowadays, though the ones who do dislike it scream the loudest and do very scary things. I hate humanity sometimes..." No success as it seems, his thoughts wouldn't let go of the horrible things he read on the internet, or heard from fellow classmates about this topic. Gritting his teeth he looked on the ground. "But as you said, I really don't mind, as long as you were happy with him that is." He looked up with a decisive look on his face and smiled up to Sei.

"I see... Very well, shall I continue?"

"Yes, please." Smiling he nodded and shifted shortly on his bed to find a better sitting position.

"As you already mentioned the feelings that developed with our friendship ended up being more than we could have ever foreseen." A fond look settled on Sei's face. "It was wonderful, you know. The feelings that bloomed in our hearts, it was fairly cliché as well. With the cherry blossoms as one might say." He laughed. "Indeed very cliché."

"So... You became lovers?"

"Yes... and the day it happened, I shall hopefully never forget it..."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_"A park." Kohaku looked around. "This was the place you wanted to take me?" His gaze shifted to Masaaki._

_"Well..." The teen scratched the back of his head. "I thought it might be nice for our first day off in weeks. Becoming older and taking even more responsibilities is a pain to be honest. I can't wait for the day I turn 20, I guess then I will never have free time." The sarcasm in his voice was spot on as always._

_"Having to take over the family business will be troublesome just as you said." A thoughtful look settled on Kohaku's face as he looked around in the park. "Though I have to admit, it is a beautiful park. Even the cherry blossoms are in bloom." He inhaled deeply whilst closing his eyes. It wasn't often that he got free time, near to never if her were to be exact._

_"Oh perfect." Masaaki looked more than just relieved. "For one second there I thought you really disliked the idea."_

_Kohaku laughed silently._

_"You should laugh more often, Sei." A fond look settled on Masaaki's face. "You really look beautiful like that." The look he had, right after saying what was in his mind though, was hilarious. Kohaku laughed louder. The teen looked flustered, embarrassed about his words._

_"Hotaka, normally you are fairly blunt, though this is the first time I see you getting embarrassed."_

_"Shut up, Sei." His eyes travelled to the ground. "Whatever, let's begin our walk."_

_"As you wish." He had finally stopped laughing and began to walk beside Masaaki, they were close to one another._

_Their walk took them through the park, on the side of the path were cherry trees full in bloom. Silently their petals fell down and decorated the path. Kohaku sighed as he looked around. It was a beautiful day. It really was. The sky blue, cherry blossoms with a soft rose colour and the lawn full in green. A sea of new emotions, so to speak, as spring made itself noticeable. The air was still somehow chilly, yet announced the arrival of new life. Their walk was silent, neither of them said a word as they walked side by side. Contentment was what Kohaku felt in the deepest corner of his heart as the walk continued. An emotion he solely felt around Masaaki, being content and in a way happy. A smile played on Kohaku's lips._

_"Tell me, Sei. Is there anyone in your life?" A surprised look was plastered on Kohaku's face as he looked to his side and saw the red hint in Masaaki's face. Though he gave no answer, he just stared, in disbelieve of how stupid that question was, when the other knew that Kohaku barely had any free time. "Hey, don't look like I'm stupid or so. I mean j-just te-"_

_Then it happened, for the first time Kohaku's reactions were a tad too slow as he watched how the other stumbled and fell. The fall itself looked ridiculous, Masaaki first flailing uncontrollably with his arms, yet making impact with the hard sandy ground. The teen groaned lying on the floor. Kohaku though had an amused look on his face as the other tried to heave himself up._

_"You are still as clumsy as ever." He said whilst kneeling down beside Masaaki. "Come let me help you." With a firm grip under the other's armpits Kohaku heaved him up. "And up you go."_

_There was a dumbfounded look on Masaaki's face as he tried to keep his balance when standing. "Well, didn't go so well, huh?" A laugh escaped his throat. "I always end up on the ground somehow." Then his laughter was louder._

_"Hotaka, your nose is bleeding. Let us find a place to sit down."_

_Masaaki just nodded as Kohaku supported him. "Well, at least you can't say that a day with me is event free." The teen giggled like some little kid as he dragged his feet while walking. "You know, I had planned out everything, even how you would look. Good thing that I didn't get any disappointment from that. I mean I hope that I won't." Kohaku was listening silently. "Oh look, there is a bench."_

_"I saw it, Hotaka. Now, come on."_

_Silence settled upon them as they sat down and Kohaku inspected Masaaki's face for further injuries. "You were lucky, your nose is not broken."_

_A grin flashed up on Masaaki's face. "Of course not, I fall down a lot, my balance is shit. So my nose is pretty sturdy, you know." His grinned widened as he fumbled for a handkerchief to hold it under his nose. "Darn, the laundry lady will get angry at me again for ruining this beautiful handkerchief." A nervous laugh escaped his lips. "But she knows me too. She had it coming when she handed this thing over to me."_

_"Are you feeling alright?" Kohaku looked at Masaaki with concerned eyes._

_"Well, yes." He looked around as he said that. "I should really be more careful, this clumsiness of mine is not funny anymore."_

_Kohaku laughed amused. "I have to say, my friend. I still think of it as amusing from time to time, though now I am just concerned. Your sight is not blurry?" He inspected the other's face once again._

_"No, I'm fine, really. Just a little, well, disappointed. I had planned this to be more romantic, I guess?" His gaze shifted shortly to Kohaku._

_"Romantic?"_

_Masaaki averted his eyes and stared off into the distance. "Well, yes. I was planning to discuss an important matter with you. Something which could either end our friendship or give it even more depth." Kohaku rose an eyebrow. "I thought about this for some time. I really did, it even kept me awake at night, so to say." He shortly looked towards Kohaku. "Well, I came to the conclusion that I have to talk with you about this, before I go crazy. You see, we are friends, for many many years now. It is the most important friendship I have." Biting his lip he looked up to the sky. "But deep down it feels like, I mean in my heart I just can't think of it as j-"_

_"Hotaka, please stop speaking." The teen's head spun around towards Kohaku, his eyes huge in fear and sadness. "Please stop."_

_"Let me talk, Sei. I-"_

_"I said, stop talking." His amber eyes pierced into dark brown ones. "Just stop for a moment. This is neither the time nor the place to talk about such delicate matters. I have to say, that your choice of location was more than just reckless." Masaaki furrowed his brows before his head bent down. "Please, do not get me wrong, Hotaka. You are very special to me. But this..." Kohaku showed around in the park. "We cannot do this here, people might talk if they were to eavesdrop, if now on accident or purposefully, it would not end well for us. Especially with our social background, Hotaka." The other seemed to realize, though the sad look on his face stayed as he looked towards Kohaku again. Kohaku though bit on his lip, he was feeling nervous about the situation, he knew what his friend wanted to say, he knew what his answer was. His gaze flicked once to Masaaki before he sighed and straightened his back. "But to answer your question, yes."_

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Oh god. For a short moment I thought you dumped him." Furihata's eyes were huge in shock as he looked up to Sei. "I was really really concerned. I was so into the story, I forgot that you told me already how you got together that day." A nervous laugh escaped his mouth. "You are a great story teller!"

"Thank you. I could have rejected him that day, but I did not, it would have been rather stupid considering that the feelings were mutual." A sad smile settled on Kohaku's lips. "Though thinking back I somehow wish I had rejected him..."

"What? Why?"

"Well, it wa-"

"Kouki? Are you home, love?" The voice echoed through the flat.

"Yes mom!" Furihata stood up from his bed. "I am sorry, Sei." He whispered. "I think I have to help."

"Kouki! Come help me with the groceries!"

"Yes mom!"

"Go help your mother, Kouki. I will wait here. Do not hurry, we have plenty of time until the Winter Cup."

Furihata nodded in response and hurried out of the room.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Kohaku watched Kouki leave the room. His gaze was still glued at the spot he saw him disappear behind. His heart was racing from his own tale, his own life. The emotions that were awoken within him were incredible. They had been at rest for such a long time and now they finally escaped his heart again. He closed his eyes, treasuring the feelings that bloomed once again inside of him. How nice it was to think about his past, how incredibly pleasant it was to see his own lover again even though it was just within his own mind. Masaaki Hotaka a man which changed his very being, gave him his most treasured memories.

Kohaku swallowed down the lump in his throat. Yet they were parted, the saying 'Till death do us part' was meant for eternity as it seemed. Biting his bottom lip Kohaku squeezed his eyes shut, the tears that formed felt so very real even though he was nothing more than a ghost, an entity that shouldn't exist, yet did. He shouldn't be real, shouldn't have become one of those scary ghost stories little kids told each other. But he couldn't change it, not yet at least. But hopefully Kouki would find a way. He was clumsy, yes he was. Just an ordinary person with ordinary abilities, but he was very determined and that -just as Ayano had said- is a person's most important asset. Determination could make anyone to a professional after all, the barriers we see are just placed by ourselves.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Uff, finally." Furihata entered the room and slumped onto his bed. "I'm sorry for taking so long." A yawn escaped his mouth.

"Nothing to worry about. I assume you ate already?" Amber eyes rested on Furihata's lying figure.

"Well, yes. That's why it took so long." He heaved himself up from the bed. "But I have to speak quieter. I don't want my mother to notice us, uh... or rather me talking to myself..." Scratching over his nape Furihata looked up to Sei.

"I understand. How about we finish the story telling for today? We have plenty of time tomorrow." A smile flashed over Sei's features.

"No!" Eyes wide the teen clasped his hands over his mouth. "No, please tell me more."

Sei's eyes softened as he watched the teen. Furihata really didn't want Sei to stop telling his story now, it was getting interesting, was he even allowed to think like that about another person's life? He gulped and looked onto his lap.

"Interesting." Sei said, studying the teen with his amber eyes. "Then I will tell one more story of mine. But a short one."

Furihata nodded in response and sat up on his bed cross-legged and watched Sei attentive. The man's features didn't give any information about what story he would tell next. If it was a memory that hurt him deep down, or one which was dear to him. Though while the story was told, Furihata could immerse in it, the facial features would soften, or harden, would show each emotion Sei had felt when he lived through that past of his.

"This one is from my childhood, maybe the only time I received a gesture akin to motherly love..."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_"Seijuurou! Seijuurou!" A woman was running through the garden towards a small boy on the ground. "Seijuurou! What happened to him?" She grabbed a nearby servant by the sleeve, her eyes a piercing amber colour as she demanded for answers._

_"Ma'am he fell while playing." The servant answered, his voice small and fragile as he fled her gaze._

_"He what?" Her voice was quiet but would freeze every grown man's blood. "Are you not obliged to look after him? It is your only purpose, yet you seem to neglect your duty!"_

_"I-"_

_"Do not try to find any excuses for your incompetence! Starting now you will leave this mansion. If you were to return-" She stopped amidst her sentences and grabbed the man's chin to look him into the eyes. "I take it that you understood what will happen." As soon as she let go the man bowed down and scrambled away. The woman though knelt down beside the lying boy. "Dear, look at me."_

_Eyelids fluttering the little boy looked up, his mind a jumbled mess and head in so much pain that he could barely think straight, so it surprised him to no end to see the concerned look on his mother's face. "Are you feeling alright, Seijuurou?" The little boy nodded and tried to memorise his mother's face and smile, her teary eyes as she pulled him up to an embrace. The kiss on his forehead was so very foreign, but the little boy smiled trying to respond, but slowly the world around him darkened on the edges and as it seems he slipped into unconsciousness._

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"My apologies." Kohaku wiped over his eyes. "I fear some memories, just go too close to my heart." Yet he smiled.

"I-" Kouki bit on his bottom lip. "I think it's good to cry from time to time."

The teen was interesting, he really was and if Kohaku was honest with himself then he could admit that he was more than happy that he had followed that little boy to his home years ago. A smile hushed over his features. "Indeed, it is. There is no shame in crying." As the boy was still small Kohaku had learned something new each passing day, thanks to the mother of the boy. The woman was intelligent, hurt from the world yet so very bright and nice. Though it had taken him some time to process what Ayano's words really meant. He himself had been a person so very dumb to not notice such simple things about life. "Go to sleep, Kouki. You have school tomorrow."

"Good night." The teen said and yawned right after. "Sorry."

Kohaku smiled in return. "Sleep tight, Kouki. I will take my leave now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope, you liked this little idea of mine!  
> If so please leave me comment even an hello is enough :D
> 
> P.s.: I researched imaginary friends AFTER writing Ayano’s reaction, felt to me at least more real than the other way round. I was surprised too, when I saw that I made her react exactly how you should. lol


	2. Only Regret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to post this chapter!  
> I was having trouble with a writers blockade...  
> Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this chapter and you might have noticed that fucked up a little bit...  
> I need another chapter to end this story so bear with me please!

The angry ringing of his alarm clock woke Furihata up. It was way too early for school, this was the thought that crossed his mind each morning. With a yawn he slowly straightened up and felt how the cold bit into his skin where the covers were slowly slipping down. Mumbling to himself he stood up and made his way to the bathroom.

Another day for his routine. Just as he sat fully closed at his kitchen table and was eating his breakfast, did the pattern change. In front of him standing was Sei. The teen spilled his tea when he saw the intruder.

"You really have to stop creeping up on me like that." Furihata said with a pained look on his face. "Ouch, my tea was still hot, you know."

"My apologies." Though the amused look on Sei's face was telling a different story.

Furihata sighed and straightened up on the chair as he brought his tea to his lips once again. The fear that Sei would follow him to his school, was still present in Furihata's mind as he took his first sip.

"I will wait for you to return from school, Kouki. I hope you do not mind."

"Oh, not at all." The teen grinned. "I will return as soon as I can. Then we will look something up on the internet and towards the end of the day you will tell me the remaining of your story."

"Very well."

After this short exchange no other words fell between the two. Furihata ate his breakfast in silence, continued his routine and left for school. On his way his mind kept returning to the problem of how they could free Sei from this misery of his. Biting his bottom lip he looked on the ground. He really hadn't found anything useful the last time, but this time at least he knew what he had to research, right? This time he would just search for stories where those ghost hunter people told how they freed a ghost which was bound to this world by his regret. A sigh escaped his lips. Though he most likely still had to visit Akashi's mansion. This would get so difficult.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

For some time Kohaku stared at the chair Kouki previously sat on. The house felt cold and lonely without anyone inside. He asked himself how Kouki, a person who liked being around other people, managed to stay alone after returning home. Closing his eyes he thought back to the time he first came here. When he stayed for months and listened to Kouki's babbling, watched those two eat and be a happy mother and child. It had made him jealous in a way Kohaku couldn't explain to himself. There was a part inside of him that asked himself if his story would have turned out different if he had a mother, a family like Kouki had.

He walked to the living room, the morning was dark in winter and thus didn't light up the room. This was the room Kohaku had said the first damaging words to Kouki, before he had kept them to himself, had been silent as speaking wasn't something he was fond of for a very long time, or rather he couldn't find the right words as he hadn't spoken to anyone in a long time. He had stayed distant to children even when they greeted him, yet somehow this little boy had found a way around the wall he had built for himself after his death. He crouched down in front of the little table Kouki used to draw. Their home really hadn't changed. He smiled as he tried to feel the surface but as expected his fingers just went through the table. Here had been the spot Kouki drew him for the first time, and heard from Kohaku that perfection was important when creating things.

He gulped, it had been harsh words, words his father and mother would have used around him, words Masaaki would have loathed when said to a kid. After clearing his throat Kohaku stood up and left the room. Even though it happened some time back it still hurt when he thought about what he had nearly done to that little bright child, if Ayano hadn't pulled him back to his senses. True, he and his other self were partners, partners which never agreed upon many things in life, yet couldn't discuss anything with each other. They just helped one another in situations the other didn't feel comfortable. He after all was better in social situations whilst the other handled everything else better, he was like a shield that numbed Kohaku's emotions. After taking a last look around the room he proceeded to exit the flat. There was something he had to confirm for himself before Kouki returned home.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The silent click of the door informed Kohaku of Kouki's arrival. After walking to the entrance he waited for the teen to notice him. His eyes studying the other as he stepped out of his shoes and then rid himself of his coat. A sigh left Kouki's mouth before he looked up and saw Kohaku. His eyes first widened and then the teen burst out laughing. He was holding his sides as he looked at Kohaku and then on the ground then again to the man and laughed on and on. More than amused as it seemed, yet Kohaku couldn't grasp the situation fully, the only thing he saw was a teen that laughed at him. It was angering yet his curiosity won the fight over the anger that tried to overtake his mind.

"I would love to have the opportunity for a good laugh, too, Kouki." He arched an eyebrow as he watched the teen gasp for air whilst holding his hand up, signing him to wait.

"I'm so very sorry, Sei." His laugh still in his throat, he coughed and inhaled, yet couldn't stop laughing. "P-Please don't hate me. Gimme a second." Grasping his stomach he stumbled to a wall and held himself up for what felt like eternities to Kohaku. He ringed for some more air before he seemed to have gained back his composure, yet when his eyes met Kohaku's he once again burst out laughing. "I am really so sorry." He held his breath until his face turned red and he once again laughed. "I just- I can't stop laughing."

"I understand. I will wait in your room." Even though Kohaku had patience he too had his limits and slowly his anger started to win the better of him so it was all the better that he went to Kouki's room before ugly things had the chance to happen. He walked through the wall -shortcuts were the best part about his inhuman body- and waited sitting on Kouki's bed. His eyes trailed to the closed door, the sounds behind it had stopped. The teen had finally gained back his composure as it seemed. A sigh left Kohaku's lips, until he noticed how the door opened slowly. He fixed his gaze on the door and waited for the other to step inside.

"I'm sorry." Kouki said with an apologetic look, then his eyes trailed to the ground.

"Hmm." Kohaku hummed and inspected the teen. "Very well." He stood up and walked towards the other. "You may want to tell me, what it was that amused you so much."

"Well, uh..." Scratching the back of his head Kouki looked up. "Well, a friend of mine played Ghostbusters' theme after school. Don't ask me why, just-" He stopped speaking before he looked to the ground again, it seemed like he had struggle keeping a straight face. "Then we, he and some other classmates that is, began to speak about ghosts and such." He looked at Kohaku. "Don't get me wrong I wasn't talking about you or anything when we spoke. It was a pretty stupid conversation about being hunted, and then he once again blasted that stupid song and it's stuck in my head now and-" A stupid grin unfolded in Kouki's face. "And when I saw you, I just couldn't otherwise but think about it and that was just- just too much." And there they go again, Kouki began to laugh once more. Kohaku sighed and sat down on the bed waiting for the other to calm down. "Sorry, I'm so sorry... but you know Ghostbusters." He laughed again.

"To be honest, Kouki. I certainly have no idea, what you are talking about." Then the room went silent abruptly. Kohaku looked towards Kouki as he straightened up and looked at Kohaku.

"You, don't know Ghostbusters?" He was arching an eyebrow.

"Well no. Other than the thought how idiotic the name sounds I have no clue." Was Kohaku's response.

"Wait, Sei, when were you alive? I mean sorry for asking... But when did you die?" The teen came closer to Kohaku and crouched then in front of him, locking his gaze with Kohaku's.

"Around 1888, I would guess. To be entirely honest, I forgot after the first century I was around here."

"Oh..." Kohaku couldn't otherwise but smile at the thoughtful look on Kouki's face before he answered. "Do you want to know?"

"Yes."

"Hmmm... You know what?" Kouki stood up and walked towards his computer. "This is something we will do today. We are going to watch a movie. Ghostbusters to be exact!" A grin spread over Kouki's face. "Believe me you have to have witnessed this movie to fully understand." He laughed to himself. "Give me a second, I'm going to get another chair." After this he left the room and all Kohaku could hear was the silent rustling that came from behind the door while Kouki prepared this... whatever it was. Kohaku just looked at the door, curiosity clouding his mind and in deep thoughts about what would await him in a short time.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Good idea or not, Furihata would totally show Sei this movie. It was funny, not just that but ridiculous. Also something someone had to know when alive in this century, yet again Sei was dead. The teen picked up a chair and walked back to his room. It was sad that they couldn't have snacks while watching this movie. After setting down the chair he turned towards Sei.

"Come, sit down." Smiling he gestured at the chair.

After that little gesture he sat down himself and inserted the DVD then he leaned back and looked at Sei. "Well, the hour of truth has come. You will now watch Ghostbusters. Anything you want to add before I start the movie?"

"No."

"Okay! Here we go!" With a click the movie started.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"I am in loss for words." Kohaku was still staring at the monitor.

"It's great, isn't it?" Kouki laughed beside him.

If the man were to be honest, then he surely wouldn't call this mascaraed great, or funny, it was illogical, each syllable that left the actors' mouth was. Yet the amusement of the teen made him smile. "Well, it indeed was an experience." His gaze travelled to the teen. "Yet I have to admit that I see no similarities between me and those..." he eyed the monitor. "Ghosts."

"Well... Yeah. The only similarity is you being a ghost I guess." Kouki scratched the back of his head. "But I still couldn't help it, this is one of my favourite movies." A wide grin bloomed on his face.

"I see." Kohaku smiled shortly.

Kouki laughed to himself before he turned his head back to the monitor. "But now we should concentrate on our research, I guess." A weak smile settled on Kouki's face. "I really hope that we will find something."

Kohaku just nodded in response.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

It was frustrating how there was nothing on the internet that could possibly help them in their situation. Furihata huffed. True most people didn't believe in ghosts, including him until, well, this happened to him. Now he could look at all the stupid ghost stories from a different angle. Which certainly didn't mean that he would believe everything so easily. He clicked through some more links, even though he had stopped paying attention some time ago. While he browsed through the internet, his mind travelled to another problem that would soon occur. How to speak with Akashi. Not just that but ask him to visit his mansion. Furihata yawned and stretched his joints. No use in searching as it seemed. He scanned the page once more with his gaze but there was nothing of value. It would certainly be better to stop before his brain turned to mush.

"I'm really sorry, but there doesn't seem to be anything." He turned his head to face Sei. "We have to figure a way out on our own as it seems"

"I feared that it would turn out this way." A thoughtful look settled on Sei's face. "Though we are two quite smart young men, would you not agree?" Then he smiled.

A smile played on Furihata's lips before he laughed. "I guess." He then said still smiling. His eyes travelled to his clock. "It's getting late. My mum should return soon, and I think I will prepare dinner today." A grin spread over his face before he stood up. "Come along. You can stay with me while I cook."

"Very well." Was the last thing Furihata heard before exiting the room.

He went into the kitchen and began to search through the cupboards and refrigerator.

"This reminds me of a certain day."

"Really?" Furihata asked.

"Yes. It also flows with my story. Shall I continue while you cook?" After placing the ingredients on the counter Furihata turned around and smiled.

"Of course." He then said before turning back to begin his cooking.

"Just to clarify from the beginning. It was not common for teenagers with our social status to cook, we had cooks and maids that were able to do it. Yet it seemed like Hotaka cooked as a passion. When he cooked he seemed to be in peace with the world...

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_Kohaku loved to watch Masaaki cook. The way he moved through the kitchen was mesmerizing. It was like a play in the theatre, capturing for the audience. His elegant steps and fast hands while slicing up vegetables or meat, watching them was like witnessing magic. Kohaku though was only capable of watching, the kitchen wasn't his reign. A sigh escaped his lips as he sat and once more only watched. A year had already passed since Masaaki's reckless confession and it was sad indeed that it couldn't ever be public. Luckily though nobody seemed to realise their true relation to each other, even though they were together each minute they had free time._

_"Hey, Sei. I hope you didn't have to wait too long." Grinning Masaaki set down a plate in front of Kohaku, on the other side of the table he seated himself._

_"I enjoy watching you cook." A smile hushed over his features as he took his first bite._

_"Well, do I see an attempt at flirting?" Masaaki laughed to himself._

_"It is your choice alone how to interpret my words, Hotaka." Kohaku smiled back._

_Then silence fell upon them. Not an awkward silence. It was a silence that gave their minds peace, a silence that was needed from time to time._

_"I have to go on a business trip this month." Kohaku was the first one to break the silence. "I do not know when my return will be but I will try all in my might to return soon."_

_Masaaki laughed and set down his chopsticks to look at Kohaku. "I hope to hear about your trip then." He smiled and stood up to wash his plate._

_"I will tell you."_

_Then their little meal ended. They bid their farewells and maybe there might have been a shy kiss when they were sure that nobody could see them. The only thing Kohaku knew though was that he would never in his life stop thinking about Masaaki. His way of movement, his gentle hands, his beautiful eyes. Kohaku couldn't otherwise but thank the gods to have met Masaaki. The only person to have ever moved his heart._

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"So he was a good cook?" Kouki said while searching for more ingredients.

"He indeed was. I enjoyed each of the meals he made for us, enjoyed each second of my life as long as we were together."

"That really sounds too good to be true." Kouki laughed. "Don't get me wrong. It's amazing that you got along so well! But didn't you ever have fights?"

"We did, we did. Though it was rather rare. The times we saw each other were limited and we treasured those instead of having doubts in one another."

"I see. It must have been very hard." He leaned against the counter and looked at Kohaku. "Having to keep it a secret." Though if Kouki was honest then even to this time people tended to keep it a secret. Rebuttal and extreme reactions were still something many people in such relationships witnessed.

"It was not hard but sad and truth behold a true waste. It could have developed so much better if not for..." Kohaku fell silent and breathed in deep, his chest was aching. "Like I said a true waste of such a beautiful relationship. If it had been accepted then my father's company and power in his department could have grown so much more. Just imagining it, the Akashi and Masaaki family joining forces by marrying their children to one another. It would have been a perfect outcome..." Kohaku laughed hollowly to himself. His face buried into his hands.

"Sei, are you okay?" He heard Kouki say.

"You see..." He looked up. "It would have been perfect, yet... yet..." The pain was unbearable, his non-existent heart was beating like crazy and Kohaku could have sworn to have felt blood rush through his veins, marking his body numb. He shot up from his sitting position. "Please pardon me, Kouki." He breathed in deep and out. "I... Please continue cooking I will return soon."

After those words he exited the kitchen, the apartment. Kouki said something but he couldn't understand what. He walked away from there, he wanted to get away from those memories but they pushed themselves back into the front of his mind, forced him to look and look and look, witness what happened so many years ago. He cried out loud into the world, the people passing him couldn't hear the despair in his voice as he cried and cried and cried, his pain, his sorrow, his only regret on this earth was flowing out with his tears.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Furihata was deep in thoughts as he sliced more of the ingredients he needed. If he hadn't understood it before, now he did clearly. Sei was hurting so much when speaking about his past. There was a smile on his face when he recalled moments he had shared with Masaaki, but the smile turned sad and nostalgic albeit still full of affection and love. A sigh escaped his lips as he placed everything in the pot and sat down to wait for it to be ready.

Would there ever be someone that looked like that when speaking about him? Were thoughts that crossed Furihata's mind before he looked down on the floor and began to lecture himself about how he shouldn't be thinking about himself when Sei was obviously hurting. He gulped and began kneading his hands.

The other had left so suddenly, what was it that was hunting Sei until this day? He had lived for centuries yet it seemed like these memories were vivid in his mind. He looked so human, when moving around in Furihata's flat and the love he harboured was reflected in his eyes. What was he doing right now? Furihata huffed, when would he return? Furihata stood up and looked after the meal. It looked like it was finished, thus Furihata took it down from the stove. Now the only thing he could do was wait.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The night had broke yet there was no sign of Sei. Furihata was beginning to worry even more, his mind was wandering to places it shouldn't. Mostly though the situations that came to his mind could never happen to a ghost. Yet again Sei felt so real, so very real. Suddenly though a thought crossed Furihata's mind that made his blood run cold in his veins. What when the other had disappeared? What if it wasn't salvation that released him from this world, but sorrow that overtook each mark of his body? Yet again he was pretty sure that it couldn't be the case. Sei was after all hurting all the time. Furihata walked up and down in his room. What could he possibly do?

"Kouki, dear?" Furihata looked to the door. "Are you feeling alright?" His mother was looking at him with a worried expression. "You were walking up and down for quite a while now. Is there anything worrying you?"

"No, mom, everything's fine." A weak smile made its way on Furihata's face.

She looked thoughtful for a second but didn't comment on his behaviour any further. A brief sad smile washed over her face. "Tell me if you are not feeling alright, okay, darling?" She smiled one last time reassuringly before closing the door.

Furihata smiled to himself. His mother was always like this, reading him like an open book, yet she never pushed when he didn't want to talk. He sat down on his bed and looked at his window. Maybe Sei would come in like he did the last times. He waited for a long while, until his eyelids became heavy and his grasp to reality slowly slipped away from him.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_"Sei, Sei, look at this." Little feet were taping over the soft lawn. "Come here and look at this."_

_And there Sei was, following him, so much taller than him, and a much sadder look on his face. Maybe that had been the most striking reason why Furihata had so genuinely been interested in him. He wanted Sei to be happy._

_"Sei look." He was pointing at a little bug, a very colourful little bug. It was slowly crawling over the plant and Furihata was looking at it with fascination filled eyes. "Look how it walks, Sei."_

_But when he turned around the only thing this little kid saw was an empty space behind him. His smile turned down and he looked around searching for the other. Where was Sei? He walked through the park and shouted Sei's name over and over again._

_'_ It's okay if you are mean sometimes.' _were the words that left his mouth._ 'I want to be your friend.' _, were the next words._ 'Sei, don't go.' _And the little boy searched and searched. Until he was bawling his eyes out while sitting on grass. His little sobs were echoing through the lonely and empty park._ 'Where are you?' _He hiccupped and just sat there. Maybe Sei would turn up again if he became good in some things? Maybe he would turn up again if he had a talent? Maybe if he won? He wiped over his face and looked up just to see a smiling face over him. Amber eyes were looking him in the face, then Sei crouched in front of him._

_"Kouki, you are a good kid. I will be leaving today. You are so much stronger than you think. I really wish I could take you in my arms before leaving, but there are things I have to learn first before I am worth your kind nature."_

_Those were the last things that Sei said before he disappeared out of his world. The little boy shouted and shouted that name but nobody was answering._

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Frihata woke up to a voice that was calling out to him, when he opened his eyes he saw Sei standing over him. A smile played on his lips as he slowly straightened up. But then his heart clenched in his chest when he remembered what had happened. Relief washed over his senses and he shot up from his bed standing directly in front of Sei.

"Where have you been? I was worried, Sei!" He could barely hold himself from rising his voice. He reached out to touch the other on the arm, just to have the physical assurance of him being there. Yet it went just through Sei. For a split second he was shocked before reminding himself of his current situation and that he had never been able to touch Sei in the first place. But being relieved and Sei feeling so human, just made him do this kind of things. It just happened instinctively. He cleared his throat and just brought his hand down awkwardly.

"I took a walk. Seems like the entire day was over before I took notice of it. Living for centuries does influence your assessment of time." Sei smiled. "Though I am fairly sorry for having woken you up."

"No it's good you woke me up! I was worried sick..." Then silence fell upon the room.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Kohaku was watching Kouki. The teen really looked more than worried and the truth was, Kohaku just woke him up when he saw the pained expression in Kouki's face. He had been standing awkwardly in Kouki's room for some time and watched the teen sleep. He had thought about how this mess could be cleared and came to the conclusion that he had to finish his story to relieve his heart of at least a bit of the burden it bore -it felt heavy in his chest. Kohaku gulped.

"I am sorry for having worried you, Kouki." He had needed time to think, and it had taken him a long time to calm himself down, at least enough to think straight. Yet it still felt more painful than anything else in the universe. "I am sorry for being a burden on you." Then his gaze turned down to the ground. It was insane how insecure this made him, how vulnerable he really was. He heard Kouki breathe in deep and knew the other would speak up so he did it before Kouki had the chance. "However, you must lend me your ear, you must help me, you..." He should tell this story while his heart burned this intensely with pain, so that he hadn't have to speak about it again. "I am asking you to listen to me now, Kouki. I am not sure if I will be able to force myself to do it any other time." Then he finally looked up again.

Kouki really looked like he was cut off mid speech, his expression was wide eyed but softened soon, he nodded and sat down on his bed. Then he gestured beside himself. Kohaku though just shook his head, he needed to move around. He breathed in deep, his voice breaking and it felt like his whole world was shaking. His gaze locked with Kouki's.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Furihata held Sei's gaze as he began to speak. "You know..." Sei's voice was shaky.

Furihata wanted to tell him that it was alright, he wanted to do something, anything, yet he knew that there couldn't be any kind of comfort he could give Sei. The other was dead, his lover was dead and soon Furihata would hear the memory which was the most painful one for the other.

"You know... I- he was my world, he was my everything..." It was heart breaking to watch someone as controlled and composed as Sei break apart. He looked tired, agonized and distressed. He looked like a different person, someone Furihata came to know for the first time. His formal speech dropped, standing in front of Furihata was someone Sei kept buried inside of himself, someone who wasn't supposed to exist. "He was everything that made my world into a colourful one. He was the only peace I found on this planet. He was what gave me something to look forward to. He was my only friend and certainly the only one my heart would ever accept as my love, as someone that has the right to share a bed and family with me." Sei's voice broke, his shallow breaths drowned his voice at some points and it felt like the most open Sei must have gotten with anyone in his live -besides Masaaki.

"The thought of it being all my fault is killing me inside... I always think what if I had said no years ago. What if I had said no and just stayed friends with him. What if I hadn't developed this kind of feelings that burn me up inside. What if... Thoughts no one in my family is supposed to have. We don't doubt our decisions, but I did and I do until today... The what ifs are burning up my soul. They disgust me, being weak disgusts me, yet it also feels like the right thing to do. Burning myself, letting myself suffer. What if I said no..."

Furihata had to say something, anything. "Stop Sei." Were the words that slipped out of his mouth. His eyes widened as he looked at Sei whose breaths were still shaky, his voice died down and he looked at Furihata. His gaze suddenly hardened and he squared his shoulders, his head held high and his shaking hands clasped together to stop the shaking. Furihata gulped, had he said something wrong? He didn't want Sei to return to his former self. A person that tried to care as less as possible. He wanted to speak up and apologize but Sei held up his hand to stop Furihata from speaking.

"My apologize, Kouki." Sei breathed in deep and then out. "My feelings got the better of me. It is important to keep your head in situations like these. I learned to do it from day one of my birth, yet it seems that a deep pain flows out in unstoppable waves." There Sei was again, composed and controlled. Furihata still wanted to say something, he breathed in but then he saw Sei shaking his head so he didn't say anything at all, he just watched and listened as the other spoke up again. "Do not speak, Kouki. Do not apologize if that is what crossed your mind. It was important that you got me out of... what happened before. We need to lay bare the story that is in my memories, not the emotions in my heart." Sei swallowed shortly. "Well let me begin my story. The story of the day that was the harbinger to what followed. I should have seen it coming but I was young and a fool..."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_"Seijuurou." The man in front of him wasn't even looking in his direction as he spoke. "Your fiancée will visit tomorrow."_

_Kohaku's eyes widened, his heart was pounding against his chest suddenly. He knew that this day would have come but he had not expected it to be this soon. His veins were pulsing in an unpleasant way and somehow the corners of his world began to blur. His fiancée? Why hadn't he heard of this before?_

_"Father, this is the first time I hear of it." His posture was strict, his voice polite._

_"It was not of importance until they announced the day of their arrival." Was his father's response as he turned around to pin Kohaku down with a stern look. "I want you to show yourself from your best side. Understood?"_

_"But father, I should be at least given time to prepare!" Unwittingly his voice rose just the slightest bit. His body was feeling hot and cold the same time as he withstood the gaze of his father, he wanted so badly for his other self to have the control over this situation. But this involved him and Masaaki, this was something that involved both of them, their future, he should be the one handling it._

_"Careful, Seijuurou, you are on thin ice. Watch your tone."_

_Kohaku swallowed shortly and straightened his posture._

_"Her name is Isao Hiromi that should be enough of a preparation if you are my son!" His father said strictly. He turned around again, his back towards the other he just slightly turned his head to fix Kohaku with his gaze. "I am beginning to think that the boy you are fooling around with is rubbing off on you."_

_That was the moment Kohaku's blood ran cold. His eyes widened and he stood there; his whole body numb. He opened his mouth but no tone came out. It was like the air in his lungs was punched out. His only focus was the glare in his father's face before the man spoke up again._

_"You are dismissed."_

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Kohaku breathed in deep and then out, he looked at Kouki who was listening carefully. The teen's eyes though were wide when Kohaku stopped telling. Kouki didn't say a word for a long time.

"So... Your father...he?" Kouki seemed to search for the right words as he looked up to the ceiling and then back to Kohaku. He didn't say anything but showed some hand gestures which may have been supposed to tell what was going on in his mind.

"Yes, Kouki. He knew. Before you ask, no, I do not know how long ago he obtained that knowledge. I, too learned about it on that day. He had known and let it happen behind closed doors. It seems like it was not something worth mentioning. Yet again he would have known that it would have complicated the situation if he were to talk to me about my relationship with Hotaka. He was an intelligent man after all. He decided to keep it to himself until he had to mention it. The timing was perfectly planned as I must admit. It was just the final blow to a decision he had made years ago himself. As I was told later on, my marriage had been decided the day I was born."

Kohaku paused shortly to sit down on one of the chairs they used to watch the movie. "I came to know the woman that was chosen to be my wife. She was a sweet lady, surely though I could see in her eyes that she suffered the same pain as I. She never told me in our short time knowing each other, who it was she loved so dearly but it seemed to be as forbidden as my love. Her smile was genuine while we talked. She became a lovely mother later. I know, I watched her. Though the poor soul had to marry one of my brothers. None of them are kind, nobody in my family was. She was shamed for not being able to produce a worthy heir. They just had daughters you see, and for my foolish brother it was a duty to keep the family name going. The same views were shared by my father. How ironic it is that none of my father's sons were able to produce the heir he so achingly wanted. One of Hiromi's daughters was married into the Akashi family later on. Interesting is it not?" He looked at Kouki and smiled bitterly. "Hiromi did not deserve to live such a painful live as she did. So many people suffered because of my foolish behaviour."

Silence stretched in the room. None of them said a word. Kohaku was looking at the wall to his side and then turned his head back to Kouki. The teen was waiting for him continue his tale as it seemed. "However, we do not sit here to talk about Hiromi's situation. Or how the Kohaku bloodline joined with the Akashi one." Kohaku smiled shortly before he sighed. "Well, that was the day which started everything. I had to meet with Hiromi a lot and outside of my meetings with her I had not much free time. Hotaka obviously knew about my situation, he had heard about it from his father. He asked me about my meetings with her but I was not keen on talking about her when we met. I wanted our time spent together just to be about us, he and I. You see, we had even less time than before together, if I was not working I was supposed to meet with Hiromi and talk about our marriage arrangements. Hotaka also had to work I mind you, we did not have endless amount of time on hand." Kohaku directed his eyes towards the ground and pinched them closed for a second. His mind was full of the memories of those days. They were not memories he treasured he just couldn't get away from them, he didn't want to remember those days so vividly.

After opening his eyes again he looked up to see Kouki's worried look, he just smiled briefly. "You might have thought about him being jealous but surprisingly though contrary to most people Hotaka had not been jealous. Hotaka never had been like most people." A sad smile played on Kohaku's lips. "He understood the situation we were in. I the fool had not even told him about my father knowing of our relationship. I was so keen on forgetting it and brushing it off that I did not tell him. But he still understood the danger of it all. Me getting married meant, soon the same fate would meet him. So we did what any other couple would have done, we cherished the time we had together. We met up the times we could until the day which meant for us to stop our reckless behaviour. We had grown out of our boyhood after all..." Kohaku wiped over his face with his hands, a defeated sigh left his mouth before continuing to speak "At least that was what we thought..."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_It had been months since their last meeting and all Kohaku could do was imagining how nice his time after such long separation would be with Masaaki. There was a small smile on his lips and his heart was pounding to his ears. He was sitting on the bench they usually met. While he was waiting his thoughts kept wandering, about how stressful his days had been, how little time he had been able to spend with Masaaki, how he wanted this everything to only be a bad joke. His smile vanished from his face as he looked onto the ground._

_His father hadn't spoken to him about his relationship with Masaaki, and Kohaku was still as bad as reading him as day one. He didn't know what the man was planning, what it was that went through his mind. What Kohaku knew though was that he couldn't trust him and somehow even to this exact second he suspected to be followed around. His eyes skimmed through the area before he returned them onto the ground once again. Nobody was there that he could see but yet again... He bit onto his bottom lip._

_This would be Masaaki's and his last meeting outside of official ones. This had to be it. This would be the one last time. After this they would call their relationship off and try and start separate lives. How cruel life could be. It was painful inside of Kohaku's chest. It hurt to be able to feel so much. A sad smile washed over his face. Masaaki really had changed him, made him feel more, he finally allowed himself to feel more. Soon though he had to conceal and lock away these emotions again. They would just be in his ways. Just as this day, they would keep pushing his thoughts into directions Kohaku should never consider, options that seemed to be so plausible but weren't._

_He swallowed hard and looked around once more, his eyes met the approaching figure of someone -Masaaki. A wide smile bloomed on his face as he stood up from the bench and slowly walked towards Masaaki. He opened his arms for a hug -something he learned after his years of relationship with Masaaki- and took the other into his arms. His embrace was tight, he pressed the other against his chest until he couldn't tell apart where he ended and Masaaki began, until it felt like they were one person. The pain in his chest returned with immense vigour and the smile on his face dropped. Kohaku swallowed down the lump in his throat before he let go of Masaaki._

_The other wasn't smiling either. His ever so smiling lips were drawn down, his eyes were nearly empty as they looked at Kohaku. The other was feeling the same pain. Now Kohaku was sure about it more than he was before. He asked himself for a second if he also made a face similar to Masaaki's. Suddenly the other leaned towards Kohaku's ear and whispered, then Kohaku was not sure anymore how he could hear Masaaki from the blood that started rushing through his veins._

_This was their last day and Masaaki was inviting him to embrace him, to be one for the last time, to do something reckless in this final day of their relationship. Kohaku swallowed nervously. He hadn't told him about his father knowing, his eyes trailed over the park yet he nodded; paranoid but somehow knowing that they wouldn't interfere -whoever was watching wouldn't interfere._

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Furihata watched Sei as the other swallowed hard and then wiped over his face again. Sei exhaled long through his nose and just then looked in Furihata's eyes.

"Sei?" Was the only thing the teen said when the silence in the room held longer than he anticipated.

"Give me a moment, Kouki." The other replied weakly. "I need a second to collect my thoughts."

Furihata nodded as a response. The silence in the room was unsettling and tense but once again there was nothing Furihata could do to loosen the atmosphere. He just watched Sei breathe for a while, his eyes looked haunted. Furihata couldn't even offer him a glass of water. It was terrible to feel useless like this, especially when his friend was hurting.

"Very well." Sei said and straightened his posture, squared his shoulders and looked at Furihata with cold eyes. He saw that they had switched, mismatched eyes were looking at Furihata. "I shall continue the story. Life is never fair, Kouki, do not forget this. We stayed together until dawn and later night came as we made our way to the point our paths would part...

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_Kohaku was looking into Masaaki's eyes as they stood under the light of the stars and moon. Their paths would just cross on special events from this day on, they would live different lives and probably not meet again in near future. It was hard to let go of the other's hand. The only thing he wanted to do was stand there and hold onto Masaaki, memorize each little edge of his face, his body, his soul. He wanted to memories Masaaki with all his imperfections, with everything he was and wasn't._

_"I know it's unfair to tell you this... But I don't want to let you go tonight, not ever, Sei..." Masaaki's voice broke and he looked to the side. Kohaku was not able to say anything. "I wish... I wish, my mind would not give me hope of this somehow working. I wish, my heart would stop beating so hard and fast when thinking about you. I wish, we could have had more time... I wish, we would have done something even more reckless than our relationship, that we had ran away and never come back."_

_"Stop, Hotaka, stop. It is as hard for me as it is for you. But I will treasure all the memories we have made together. I will never let anyone into that special place in my heart but you."_

_Then silence enveloped them. This time it was no silence they could find comfort in. It was heavy and unforgiving. It lay on their shoulders and made their chests hurt all the more. They didn't let go of each other's hands. Maybe one of them would say the words, say:_ Let us run away. Let us live together in a place far away from here. Let us do another reckless thing... _But neither of them uttered a word for a long time. The wind was blowing past their heads and all they could do was stand there wishing for all of their tears to be an ugly dream._

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"You also love him, don't you?" Furihata asked with a silent voice.

"Of course I do. We are the same person after all, my other self and I." Sei said his piercing eyes directed to Furihata. "Of course it does not seem that way... We are quite different, too after all. But yes, my desire for him burned as deep as my other self's. I could see through his eyes. We knew what the other did and felt at any time." He paused shortly. "I liked that Hotaka was so blinded of the beauty of this world that he forgot how cruel it can be sometimes..." his voice subdued towards the end. "However I should continue our little tale, should I not? There is not much left."

Furihata nodded in deep thoughts. He wondered if Akashi was the same. If he also was like this, mind split into two just so that he could protect his more vulnerable side. Kuroko had told them how different Akashi was in Teiko after all. Caring, polite, kind...

"Where was I?" Furihata snapped out of his thoughts and focused on Sei again. "Ah yes, that night... We were not willing to let go. So we stood there for a long while, a lot longer, until we decided to take a last walk through the park at night. We looked at the stars and scenery, maybe even hoped for something to happen on that day that would let us be together forever..."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_Kohaku's steps felt heavy, his heart was aching beyond recognition, his nerves were turning numb at this point. He watched Masaaki from the rim of his eye. His normally smiling face was looking so... normal it didn't suit him, it looked out of character for him to not smile. His black hair was still dishevelled and Kohaku knew that he had to look exactly like him. He smiled bitterly when his thoughts about how this night was their last returned._

_It was unfair, being forced to leave the one you count as the dearest person to you. But they were not allowed to be reckless, they were allowed nothing with their status. His gaze skimmed the area with a deep seated knowledge that they were being followed. It had to be his father's order that they would not be interrupted unless something irresponsible happened from their side._

_"We are being watched aren't we?" Kohaku's head snapped back towards Masaaki. "Don't think of me as stupid, Sei. I may not speak like any of the other intelligent people who act like they have sticks up their arses but I surely am not stupid. Tell me. I know we are being watched since we met today, I cannot fathom why though, especially since they didn't interrupt us by anything until now."_

_Kohaku swallowed was he that easy to read? Yet again he had been looking around a lot lately. Any intelligent person would have figured out that something out of the ordinary was happening. He opened his mouth, he should have told him much sooner. "My deepest apologies for not telling you sooner..." he muttered._

_"It's okay. I just want to know who it is that follows us." He turned his head to Kohaku smiled softly and squeezed his hand reassuringly._

_"I- My father knew about our relationship... He told me the day he ordered me to meet my fiancée." Was Kohaku's response, his voice turned bitter towards the end._

_"I see. Makes sense, doesn't it?" Masaaki laughed silently. "It explains why everything developed so suddenly. If not for our relationship I bet you would have had more time to prepare. He most likely didn't want it to end up in a huge fiasco. Just imagine it. The heirs to two huge companies known for sodomy."_

_Kohaku's gaze turned to the ground. Masaaki's laugh was just out of place, it didn't fit the situation, it didn't fit his otherwise gentle voice. Kohaku normally loved Masaaki's laugh, this laugh of his, though, was different. It was hollow not fit to show amusement but a cruel realty that would follow them to their graves. They fell silent shortly after. Their walk was held in silence for a long time until Kohaku felt how Masaaki stopped beside him._

_"Hey, do you remember this well?" Masaaki suddenly asked._

_Kohaku looked at the direction the other pointed and began to smile. Of course he knew that well. "I do, we used to walk around this park quite often. That was our first meeting spot in this park. Later it became a foolish ritual of ours to walk past it whenever we met here." Kohaku paused and smiled. "This park bears many important memories to me, yet again you know that already." He turned around to face Masaaki._

_The other smiled and then turned to look at the well again. "I wonder if there is any water in it..."_

_"I do not know. We could look." Kohaku offered shortly and then began to walk slowly towards the well, he soon felt Masaaki follow him. After throwing in a rock they heard the silent sound of water but it was directly followed by the sound of stone meeting ground._

_"Seems like it dried out. Funny, isn't it? It's comparable to our little relationship..." Masaaki's sentence ended with a sad undertone. He then looked at Kohaku. He straightened his posture and looked around before he grabbed Kohaku's hands and placed a little item between them. It was a shiny silver colour. A ring. A beautiful ring adorned with an amber and a ruby stone. Kohaku's eyes widened._

_"I, Hotaka. What is the meaning of this?" His voice was shaking._

_"Okay, Okay please don't be mad. I know you won't have anything in return but I wanted you to have something from me, something you could call yours, something that would remind you of me as soon as you saw it. When we were younger we did not buy each other anything, we were boys after all. It was not normal for us to give each other expensive presents. I just want you to have something from me... I couldn't otherwise but to buy this when I saw it, it reminded me of you, it is just like your very soul."_

_To say that Kohaku was surprised would be an understatement. He looked at the ring with wide eyes, regarded it from different angles then he tried to put it on his ring finger but it wouldn't fit. Of course not, it was made for women._

_"I'm sorry but, well it was already made when I saw it and I bought it on a whim. You might have noticed that it is for a woman. I'm sorry."_

_Kohaku just put the ring on his little finger. It was too big for his little finger but it had to do. Then he began to laugh. He held onto the edge of the well and laughed. "Do not worry, Hotaka, I love it. I will treasure it. Though I have the need to say that you gave me something far more important than worldly possessions. You gave me back my desire to live, Hotaka." He smiled._

_His heart was pounding as they firmly embraced each other. After letting go they looked into each other's eyes then both bend towards each other for a final kiss, their final kiss. But the cruelty of life never knows any boundaries, Masaaki slipped because of the slippery and muddy ground around the water well and-_

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Did he fall into the well?" Furihata asked but noticed soon that he had interrupted Sei. "I'm sorry."

"I accept your apology. But no, he did not fall." Sei paused shortly. "I did."

"But I thought-"

"It is far more complicated than that. I do not think I would have regretted dying if we both fell into the well and split open our skulls. But it was just me who fell. You see, I already told you that the ring was too big for my small finger and it slipped. I tried to catch it. It was the most ridiculous reason for nearly jumping into a well headfirst but I did exactly that. That ring meant the world to me in that moment. I reached for it, caught it but lost the footing we both had required prior. Hotaka tried to catch me but well... As you can see, it did not work out as he planned." Sei shortly stopped and breathed in deep then out. "What follows is even hard to tell for me. I died that night, not Hotaka..."

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

_Kohaku lost his footing and began to fall. He heard Masaaki shout his name. The impact was a painful one, with it the sounds around him were cut off suddenly and it was pitch black for some seconds. When Kohaku came to himself, he looked up towards the opening of the well. Masaaki was still shouting and shouting and Kohaku shouted back, he did. He even placed his hands in front of his mouth like a funnel and shouted up. Yet the only thing he heard was Masaaki cry out his name distressed and panicking. Though soon other shouts joined Masaaki's cries. Steps were to hear._

_Kohaku saw Masaaki struggle and grip for the edges of the well and shout and cry and Kohaku answered, he did. To each cry of his name, he said_ I'm fine _. For each cry for him, he said_ I'm here _. But not even his voice seemed to echo from the walls of the well. He swallowed and looked at the stone walls for a moment. They looked slippery but he had to try. He placed his hands on those and tried to climb out and it worked. It was easier than he had imagined and when he finally was out, he saw how Masaaki was dragged away. Guards were holding him, calling him names and accusing him of having killed Kohaku. But it was not true, it could never be true, Masaaki couldn't kill anyone._

 _Kohaku ran after them and shouted and shouted and shouted._ 'I'm here! Look back! I am here! Let go of him!' _But his voice didn't reach anyone. Even as he stood nearly beside them, they didn't notice him, they didn't react to him. He stepped in front of them and that had been the shock that made his blood run cold. They went through him as if he was not there. He tried it again and again. It felt like a horrid dream come true. He followed them and was silent after realizing it was no use, after realizing that he wasn't really there albeit being there._

_He swallowed as he watched Masaaki being stripped and given clothes for jail. He was being accused of murder, the murder of Kohaku. The murder of the one person he loved most. Kohaku watched Masaaki let himself be pulled around. He didn't even fight back anymore after they brought him away from the well. He looked resigned, empty and sad. When he was brought inside to his cell, he sat down leaning against a wall and started crying. Kohaku was dying inside as he watched all of this play in front of his eyes. He couldn't see the other's thoughts. He couldn't tell him that he was there. He couldn't take him into his arms. He hadn't expected their last day to end like this. He swallowed hard, he could only watch as Masaaki cried himself to sleep._

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"H-He was accused for your murder?" Furihata stuttered.

"Yes." Sei swallowed hard, his breathing was heavy. "The first day, seeing him cry himself to sleep was not even the worst part. It got worse with each passing day. I saw his eyes become empty and all I could do was watch. I talked to him every day but he could not hear me. He was not able to hear. I told you already that only children and animals can see me, have I not? Well, he was no child anymore and all I could do was watch and wait with him. See him becoming more distant; see him grow thinner and thinner as he refused to eat. Saw him loose all the light in his eyes when everything that happened sunk in. Saw that his smile never returned to his face..." Sei shortly paused and rubbed over his face. "Well, the last part is a lie. You know, he did not protest as they told him he would be executed. He had murdered a man after all. I do not know if he believed that he did, but I hope not with all my heart... The only moment he smiled was when they executed him. I was there did not look as it happened but the dull sound of him falling to his death is in my ears to this day. Sometimes I ask myself if he is waiting even now in that place people go after death. That place which I was not granted to go."

Furihata hadn't noticed when he started but he was crying and he saw that Sei's shoulders were shaking too he was breathing shallowly and his head was buried in his hands. "It won't go out of my mind. Especially this part. Those last days. They even began to overgrow the pleasant memories I made with Hotaka. It pains my heart more than anything else." A shuddering breath left Sei's mouth. "This is the story of my only regret, Kouki. The only thing I regret in my life is not having more time with Hotaka, not being able to help him when he needed me the most, having to see him go through that pain because of my stupid decision to reach for that ring..."

The whole story was more than just sad it was tragic but Furihata had to stop crying he was just crying because Sei had started to cry in the middle of his tale. The silent tears had been running down his face the whole time he told his story.

"Well, Kouki... This is my story. Thank you for listening, but now..." Sei breathed in deep and then out. "I have to leave and collect my thoughts. I -my other self that is- will return soon."

Furihata swallowed hard and nodded, after wiping over his eyes he stood up and watched Kohaku leave. After the other left Furihata sat down again, he couldn't believe his ears about what happened to those two. He hadn't expected the memories to be this sad. Yet through all this madness he had to think about a way to help Kohaku, now more than any other time. The other had been carrying all this around with himself for the last century. Furihata couldn't even wish to understand how much pain he must have felt in that time. It was no wonder that he had overturned himself to his more cruel side after everything. He had to watch so many people he liked suffer and then keep all those memories to himself, without being able to speak about them to anyone. Furihata bit his bottom lip, looked up towards his clock and just then noticed how late it was already or rather how early. He didn't have to sleep at this point. School would begin soon. So he just stood up and began his daily routine earlier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> I love you guys and comments are always welcome!
> 
> P.s. Sorry for the Ghostbusters bit but I couldn't help it after watching the movie again...


	3. Roses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to update always, especially sorry to you bree since this was your Christmas exchange gift, we nearly have next Christmas and I'm still not finished....  
> Have fun while reading!!

True to his words Sei returned after two days. It had been hard for Furihata to not think about Sei all the time in school and worry about him. Who was he lying to, he had been thinking about him and worrying all the time since Sei left the room that day. However he was back and Furihata greeted him with a bright smile, this was the least he could do for the other. Smile and tell him about what he had thought up while the other was away. He hadn't been just sitting around and waiting, he had come up with a plan to help Sei even. He wasn't sure if it would be any good though.

"Sei! Welcome back." Furihata said after the other came into the room. "Are you feeling better?"

"Well, yes. I am feeling much better, Kouki. I hope my absence did not worry you too much?" a sad smile hushed over his features.

"It was okay. I mean I was worried but I was also thinking about what to do next and waiting... I'm just really glad you are back, Sei."

"I see." A thoughtful look settled on Sei's face as he looked towards Furihata. "You said, you thought about how to proceed from now on?" He asked.

"Ah yes! I know when to ask Akashi about, well, visiting the mansion. I will ask after the Winter Cup! It doesn't matter if my team wins or loses. I will ask that day."

Sei nodded and sat down on Furihata's bed. "I understand. That is indeed the most appropriate time. After exercises, the brain works better and the prior stress of winning or losing will not affect your thought process. Your idea is well thought through."

Furihata could feel his cheeks heating up, it was not often that people complimented his ideas or him in general. "Well, uh.. thanks. Anyway! I will ask him that day, but I'm still not sure what to say, I guess I'll have to improvise..." Furihata paused shortly. "Well uh... Also about what could help you redeem yourself... I am still thinking about that. But I guess I am onto something! I hope I will figure it out soon." Furihata pressed his lips into a thin line before he looked towards Sei and tried to show him a reassuring smile. "What have you been doing those past days?" He sat down beside Sei.

"I was..." Sei paused. "I was thinking. A lot. And I came to the conclusion that I should show you my gratitude in some way."

"Wh-What?" Furihata stuttered.

"Well, you are helping me a lot, Kouki and I want to give you something in return. Something which will show you my gratitude. Although I know that there is no such thing that could help me repay my debt to you."

"W-W-Wait!" Furihata waved his hands in front of his face. "You don't have to give me anything in return I want to help you!"

"I know," Sei answered. "I knew this would be your answer, however, I did not ask to show my gratitude I was merely informing you that it will happen. Yet I cannot do it now. We will have to wait until we have access to the mansion."

Furihata wanted to protest again, tell him how it was not necessary at all but before he could even think about speaking up Sei proceeded to talk. "Now tell me, Kouki. What are your leads on what could redeem my soul?"

Kouki swallowed down his protest, shortly looked up to the ceiling and scratched then the back of his head. "Well, not much. But I was thinking about the well you met. That could be a lead, further than that I did not come sadly..."

"I see. That is further than I have come to this day, Kouki. And I was called brilliant by many of my tutors as I was still alive."

Somehow this little statement made Furihata's heart swell with pride. Maybe he really was needed more than he thought. "I uh, I have weekend now, so uhm... No school!"

"Very well. How about we take a walk then?" Sei asked to which Furihata responded with frantically nodding. "Do not forget your coat. We will take some time before returning. Maybe you could even show me this game you will play in the tournament you call the Winter Cup. It was basketball was it not? Show me how you play that game."

Furihata's eyes widened, well he had nothing else to do, yet again he would not be able to play against Sei... Then a brilliant idea came to his mind.

"Of course Sei! But it is not a game one can play alone. How about I call some of my friends over? I know of two people who will definitely show up!" Furihata beamed, Sei had a faint smile on his face as he nodded.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

It was cold. So cold indeed that it was biting into Furihata's skin. He huffed out some air and watched the fumes fly away into the sky.

"You must be cold."

"Eh? Oh! It's okay, really. Soon I will warm up anyways." Furihata rubbed over his arms, he was wearing a jacket. How on earth was it still so cold?

"I do hope that you do not end up ill," Sei added with a concerned look on his face.

"I won't, I won't! I'm young and athletic." Furihata laughed. "However we will be at the court before everyone else so yeah... I could show you some throws until they arrive if you want to." Furihata eyed the other from the rims of his eyes.

"Of course. I am looking forward to learning about this sport." Sei replied.

"Very well," Furihata said and then heard Sei laugh beside him. With a confused look Furihata turned to the other. "What is it?"

"Ah, no it is interesting how you began saying 'very well'. You never said it before." Sei was still laughing silently before it died down to an amused smile. "You see, I have once read that people who stay a certain time together pick up certain characteristics from one another. You may have developed a sense of better speech Kouki."

Furihata turned red in the face. "Well, you learned to smile again." Was his cheeky reply.

"You are not wrong, and I am fairly grateful for that, Kouki. It lay a long time back since I smiled and laughed so heartedly, or at least since I laughed at all." He turned to face Furihata. "Thank you." His smile was still seated on his face.

Furihata found it interesting how the other's hair was not affected by the wind around him, he wasn't cold, he wasn't human anymore yet Furihata felt a deep affection towards him. He was a dear friend and if Furihata was honest then he surely did not want Sei to disappear. Yet again that was a selfish thing to think. He had no answer to the 'thank you' he received. He didn't even deserve it if he began to think so selfishly by now. However, he had to beat his selfish side and really help Sei. Thus he nodded as a response.

Their remaining walk passed in silence, just the sound of Furihata's shoes meeting the ground were to hear. It felt lonely...

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Kohaku watched Kouki for some time. It had really been centuries since he had laughed at all. Maybe, it had been fate to meet Kouki as a little kid, maybe it had been written the moment Kouki spoke to him. Yet again, Kohaku did not believe in fate, he was never taught to believe in it. A sigh escaped his lips. He wished that he could leave something behind for Kouki. His friend after so many years. The only person after Masaaki who dared to see in him a human and not a money shitting donkey. He still hadn't decided on what to give Kouki to show his gratitude but he would find something when they were in the mansion again. He heard how the steps halted and just like that Kohaku also stopped, looked around.

"We are here, this will be the court all of us will meet," Kouki said walking towards the court. "As far as I know and was notified..." Kouki looked at his mobile -another of those new devices in this new age. The people were connected through these small devices, always able to be reached, even all over the world. "Kagami, Kuroko, Aomine, even Kiyoshi comes along, who knows who he will force to come with him." Kouki laughed to himself. "And of course two who are my best friends in my team, Fukuda and Kawahara"

"I see," Kohaku answered. "You wanted to show me some techniques before your friends arrive."

"Well, I guess," Kouki rasped out nervously. "I uh.. I have to say that my friends are far better than I am. When they are here you will see real basketball playing. Especially if Kagami and Aomine get to play one-on-one. Those two are great!"

"Kouki, show me. I am sure you are quite a well player yourself." Kohaku could clearly see that the other was tense and didn't seem to believe what Kohaku just said.

Kouki went to the basket and began to dribble the ball. It was fascinating. Kohaku had seen this sport before, however never really paid attention to it. Now though as Kouki stood in front of the basket and dribbled away it somehow piqued his interest. The teen stopped dribbling, jumped slightly into the air and threw the ball. It was a close call, yet it missed.

"Like I said when the others arrive you will see some great plays. I can just show you some throws. And even then I don't always hit the basket." Kouki shuffled around. "Maybe I should just throw some baskets and warm up so that I have some kind of chance of keeping up."

It was sad that the other talked himself down like this. Kohaku didn't like it at all if anything he really wished to get those useless thoughts out of Kouki's mind. "Kouki."

"Yes?" The teen turned towards him with an asking look on his face.

"Please do not talk yourself down. I have not seen you play yet but to me, it seems like you do have quite some talent. With a bit of polishing your skills, it should work."

"Well... I uh... Thanks, I guess, Sei." Kouki smiled shortly then the teen's attention returned to the basket.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

It had taken a long time until the others arrived but when they did, the court became lively. It felt like it was not the middle of winter but summer and all they did was worry about nothing in particular. Kohaku was watching them play. Kouki hadn't talked to him after the arrival of his friends yet from time to time the teen would glance towards him as if he was assuring himself that Kohaku was still there. Kohaku on the other hand just watched, and true to Kouki's words when Kagami and Aomine began to play one-on-one it had been hard to tear away his eyes from the court. He had heard later that Aomine had been forced to come by Momoi but as it seemed the teen was just playing his upfront tough guy, he was enjoying himself the most among the others.

Towards the end of the day, their numbers decreased until the only people left were Kouki and his two friends, they went to Kouki's place. It was interesting to watch the teen interact with the others. Especially these three though seemed to underestimate their worth to the team. They were weaker on court than the others. Yet if Kohaku understood right then these three also just started their basketball career. So they were pretty good when considering that fact.

Kohaku closed his eyes and smiled, smiled indeed but just to himself, a grateful smile for having met Masaaki who showed him that all humans were made to feel and understand and later Ayano who demonstrated that not every family was as unforgiving as his that it was important for him to let people grow before stacking his expectations too high. The only sad aspect of it all though was that he had never been able to show what he himself learned towards an own family, at least a family he could have had... His eyes glued on Kouki's back. The teen was laughing and having fun. This was it what every kid needed, this was what everyone deserved. A life where they found happiness and sorrow, where they were given a chance to archive but were not forced to, where they could cry without being seen as weak.

A sigh escaped Kohaku's mouth. He should leave and look around in his previous mansion and like he had done for over a century, he had to look what his descendants were doing. The little kid, the one who was named just as him, needed a push into the right direction. Kohaku gestured Kouki that he would leave and then disappeared towards the mansion Kouki soon had to visit. He was going to look for the teen Kouki soon had to face. Seijuurou Akashi, a person who was so very similar to Kohaku yet wasn't him entirely. There were differences. Akashi, after all, lost his emotions after his mother's death, he knew what love was before having to conceal it while growing up to the person he was today...

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Furihata released an audible sigh when his friends left. Normally he wouldn't be this relieved when they left, more than not he was rather sad when he had to say goodbye. This time though he had all kinds of thoughts clouding his mind. It was unnerving that he still had no idea what it was that bound Sei to this earth. He was close, so close. He could smell the answer yet not reach it. It was like he was a little toddler trying to open the door to a secret room in a house. It seemed impossible. The more he reached out the more frustrated he became since it looked so close yet was out of his grasp entirely. He sat down on his chair and looked at the offending object named computer. The whole world had no answer to his question, hell he had even searched in English yet found nothing at all. Weren't Americans so obsessed with the occult?

For just a split second he thought about switching his computer on and searching again, but he decided against it, he hadn't found anything in his days and days of search. He huffed and let his head lull on the back of his chair, he stared up to the ceiling. That wasn't his only problem... He still had to ask Akashi and his lucky self still had no idea where to start, no idea how to ask. If he should explain himself then and there or just make up some lie... The main point though was, that Akashi would surely think of him as a lunatic if he didn't kill him first. His first encounter with him came to his mind and a shiver went down his spine. He was genuinely scared. His face scrunched up at the thought of the Winter Cup. He really didn't want to speak with Akashi. But well sacrifices had to be made and he really wanted to help Sei. He stood up from his chair and made himself ready for bed, maybe the next day he would have more luck with his thoughts and ideas...

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The days came and went and the day of the Winter Cup closed in. Kouki's game would soon begin thus Kohaku did what he promised. He was in the audience and watched the game, he watched them play. The forth and back between the two teams, the struggle both seemed to face, how they overcame those, how Furihata played the best he could albeit having to stand against Akashi. A smile split Kohaku's face as he watched, his non-existent heart throbbing in excitement as he watched. The uncertainty who would win grew by the second and when it all ended he was sure he would have sprung into the air, cheering like a child if not for the deep-rooted conviction how immature that was. It was sad that Kohaku had to wait for them to be home again to congratulate Kouki.

So he did the only thing that he was sure he could do, he walked to Kouki or rather followed him as the teen was in the sidelines happy, near to crying because of their victory, but there was something else in his stance. He looked nervous after the teams greeted one another one last time and left for the locker rooms. He followed Kouki after the teen left his locker room, followed him till the other was standing in front of the Rakuzan locker room, nervous, even scared. But Kohaku smiled, he smiled wide and knowing. Akashi had changed after his loss, just as Kohaku had when meeting Masaaki. Yet Kouki looked nervous as he stepped from one foot to the other and waited for Akashi to exit the locker room. And that the teen did, his walk smooth, his face soft around the edges, he looked like a young teen. Finally. Kohaku did not interfere but just watched and listened.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"A-" He was light-headed as he stood there, his nerves eating away at him. "Akashi!" He then pressed out louder than necessary, a blush fought its way up to his face when other people looked his way. "I-I" He swallowed again. "Can I visit your place?"

He then blurted out. He did not look at Akashi as he said those words, thus didn't witness how the other teen's eyes widened the slightest bit before a soft, nearly invisible smile appeared on his lips. He laid his hand on Furihata's shoulder and that was the moment Furihata wanted to just drop dead, he was more than just nervous at this point and the way he asked that question sounded all kinds of wrong... He looked up to see Akashi smiling. It was kind of weird, seeing him smile so softly. Furihata laughed nervously and tried to act normal, he really did.

"Of course." Akashi then said as if Furihata's question was the most normal thing, as if it happened to him every day.

Furihata's eyes widened and he literally gawked at Akashi. "Wha- eh- I- uh... thanks." And ended his speech with an awkward cough.

"When will you visit?" Akashi then asked further taking his hand away from Furihata's shoulder; the warm feeling lingered where his hand previously lay. Akashi had begun to walk. For a split second Furihata wasn't sure if he should follow but then he saw Akashi turn around to look at him, he even slowed down the slightest bit. That was the only cue Furihata needed to start following Akashi.

"I- When do you have time?" Furihata asked, throwing a short glance towards Akashi, who was walking in a steady and comfortable pace.

"This week I have several appointments, but next week on..." Akashi paused shortly, probably to think. "Yes. On Saturday I have some free time."

Furihata nodded frantically. "Okay, I'm free on Saturday as well." He then added quickly as if to clarify himself further. Furihata's heart was beating too fast to be healthy, and the silence that enveloped them just felt so awkward. It felt like he had asked Akashi out. After that thought crossed his mind Furihata's face turned red and he looked very pointedly away from Akashi. Trying to ban all those weird thoughts from his mind. Especially the ones that told him how much he liked Akashi smiling like that. When they arrived outside the building, Akashi smiled at Furihata one last time.

"I will see you on Saturday then."

"Uhm- yeah... see you!"

Furihata's nerves were wrecked as he watched Akashi leave. A shiver ran down his spine when a deep sigh escaped his throat after he was sure that Akashi was out of his sight and probably also out of his earshot. He was sure that his legs would give out under him if he had to stay close to Akashi any second longer. His stupid thoughts had not helped the slightest bit in that regard either. He took a shuddering breath when he bent over, placing his hands on his knees and tried to regain at least some of his composure back. This whole exchange had been more exhausting than Riko's training menu and that spoke volumes for itself.

He straightened up and looked to the direction Akashi disappeared to once more. It was weird how the other just accepted his rather inelegant proposal of wanting to meet with him at his home? When he thought about it then. It made him blush. It really did not sound like anything innocent, as if Furihata was suggesting _things_. Then again that had to have been more of a reason for Akashi to say no or at least ask further. Another sigh escaped his mouth before he slung his arms around himself. It was pretty cold. He blinked and then facepalmed, he forgot his stuff inside. Of course he did. After all the jitters he felt when thinking about how to ask Akashi, everything else just escaped his fabulous mind. He swallowed one last time against his pounding heart. After turning around he nearly, really just nearly, screamed his lungs out.

"P-please don't creep up on me like that. I nearly died."

The only thing he heard in response was a light laugh.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The house just kept getting bigger as Furihata approached it. He was not even exaggerating when he thought how it could probably fit a whole army, if not a village inside. Also, he was getting nervous again.

"Breathe." A steady voice beside him uttered.

His eyes fell on Sei's relaxed form, how in hell could the other be so relaxed? Yet again he had lived here as he was alive and he already told him that he still visited this place from time to time.

"Easier said than done." Was his grumbling reply.

There was a soft laugh from other. "Believe me it will be fine." Sei turned his head to Furihata. "Just do as I instructed."

Furihata gulped the lump in his throat down. His heart felt heavy again. However he was on a mission, he would do this. His legs carried him to the huge garden gate. He searched for a way to open it when he saw Sei point towards a button. Of course, they would answer visitors at the gate. This whole mansion felt like out of a movie. A last shuddering breath left his mouth before he reached out and pressed the button reluctantly. He only waited for a second when someone answered already. He was startled at first.

"Master Akashi already told me about your arrival." Was the only thing the voice on the other end said, then the huge door began to move and Furihata may have released an unmanly squeak as he jumped away from it as if it was poisonous or would electrocute him any second. He waited for the gate to open entirely before slowly walking through. His eyes were wide as he looked around, he was more than just aware of everything. Each blow of the wind, each sound of the rustling bushes, that's why he also heard his host before he saw him. His heart was pounding one mile per second, still scared that this may be the last time he saw the outer world. He pinched his eyes closed and flinched the slightest bit when he heard a man talk suddenly.

"You are Furihata Kouki?"

Furihata nodded without looking up.

"I am Akira. At your service."

Just then Furihata looked up, his eyes wide. He couldn't believe what he just heard. At your service? He nodded before finally realizing that it might not be so bad to speak up. "I- uhm.. nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine." Was the curt answer then the man turned around and stood still before speaking up again. "Please follow me. Master Akashi is waiting."

Master... He still couldn't believe that Akashi's family had a servant. As he walked through the garden, still more nervous than ever he noticed that this garden gave him some peace of mind. It felt so familiar, motherly even. The rose bushes' swift movement, the lovely smell of them in the air. Furihata breathed in deep. His eyes fluttering closed as he did so. It all felt so soothing on his nerves. It was winter and the bushes bare yet there was the smell of roses as if it was the middle of summer. Finally, some place in his mind was able to calm down. He opened his eyes, walking the remaining path calmly, his mind at peace. When they finally arrived at the mansion door, he saw Akashi walking up to the door. He looked... different in his everyday clothes. Still very classy as he walked in his jeans and shirt, yet it really didn't go well with what Furihata had in mind Akashi would look like outside of school. He may have laughed if his nerves weren't wrecked again, instead, he just swallowed down the lump in his throat.

"Good afternoon, Furihata," Akashi said after a while of silence.

Furihata, on the other hand, had still some problems with just walking and talking, he nodded pointedly and then croaked a very squeaky hello.

Akashi just smiled in reply which honestly put Furihata off more than it should.

"Calm down."

Furihata's head snapped to his side. Sei should really stop with his ever so grand debuts when Furihata was already feeling anxious beyond normal. He wanted to say something to Sei but then decided wisely against it since Akashi was still there and when he turned his head back to him, he knew that he had made the right decision. His gaze had changed still the nice smile on top of his lips, but now there was something else? Maybe an asking look?

"I- uhm..." Furihata swallowed again, this whole ordeal really was doing not so nice things to his nerves. "We need to talk." He then pressed out again.

Akashi just hummed and shortly made a gesture with his hand which seemed to dismiss his servant since -Furihata guessed Akira- left without a word.

"Follow me." Akashi then said, and Furihata would really rather not. He felt safe with the door behind his back, yet he nodded and began following Akashi through the mansion, his steps felt heavy and he didn't want his life to end here. The walk took eternities, at least it felt that way, but well Furihata knew that it couldn't have taken long. His ever nervous mind was playing games with him. He thought they might end up in a room but to his surprise, Akashi lead them outside, to another garden. A round white table with chairs around it was placed in the center of the garden, the surrounding rose bushes were -for now- very bare yet they smelled of roses just the way the rose bushes had at the entrance. Furihata was grateful though since the scent calmed him down more than it probably should. He breathed in deep before following Akashi to the table and sitting down. It was cold but well better than sitting inside and feeling anxious.

"My visitors tell me often that these rose bushes calm them down. I do hope they have the same effect on you, Furihata. They do not bloom, though, you should visit again in summer." A sad smile played on Akashi's lips as he looked at the surrounding rose bushes. "However, that is not the reason why we met today, is it?"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Furihata shook his head. Akashi had noticed that the other was nervous pretty much the second he stepped foot into the mansion. It made sense, really. As far as he remembered their first encounter hadn't been a nice one and he had gotten away from his wrath with sheer luck and the spacious room between them. Him listening to his demands was also pretty helpful in that instance. Akashi would change their spot when the other felt comfortable around him, however that could take some time. He looked at Furihata, waiting for him to start.

He was curious what this proposal of Furihata would be. The second the teen had asked to visit his mansion. It felt urging in a way as if he had something important to do here. At first, Akashi had been worried Furihata would confess to him but dismissed that thought right away, there was something else behind that nervous demeanor, something that told Akashi the teen had something very important in his mind. Akashi leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs, after threading his fingers together he placed them on his lap. His intention was to show Furihata that he was not a threat. He really didn't want to be threatening. That was the way his other self acted, the one who was watching in the back of his mind right now. Closed away from the world until he was needed again, or Akashi too weak to maintain his place up in front.

"So?"

"I-" Furihata bit on his bottom lip, it was understandable, his nervousness, but it was also somehow unnerving to be feared this much, Akashi wanted to speak up again- "I'm sorry, this might sound very, very, very weird and really I will sound like a crazy person."

Akashi uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, supporting himself on his elbows, looking Furihata directly in the eyes. "Go on." He was now more than just curious as he waited for the other to continue, taking in every movement of Furihata. The way he fumbled his hands and again just looked at his side as if someone was talking to him, the way a small weak smile formed on his lips as if that someone made him smile. His eyes returned to Akashi and once again Furihata was fighting with himself as he searched for words but Akashi was patient. He would let the other talk at his own pace if so needed wait the whole night.

"If you allow me I would like to show you a place in this mansion not even you or your parents know."

Akashi's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Oh, uhm- sorry it- it sounded as if I..." Furihata paused again. "You will believe me more easily that way..."

Akashi was intrigued, to say the least, without a word he stood up. "You may." He waited for Furihata to take the lead.

This whole situation seemed surreal, and to be entirely honest Akashi did not know why he played along with this request, he just did. Maybe it was because of the way the other sounded so confident all of a sudden. It didn't take long for Furihata to stand up and take the lead. Akashi though noticed soon, that Furihata himself seemed to follow someone, from the way his steps quickened and then sometimes slowed down, the way he sometimes looked like he wanted to ask something into thin air, the way he did not seem to notice Akashi anymore.

It was all just surreal, this was the first time that his presence was shoved into the background by a visitor of his. He followed, though, without a word. True to his words Furihata lead him to a room far in the corner, a room the housekeepers used to store cleaning supplies. He quirked an eyebrow when he saw Furihata watch the wall intently and once looked beside him, once again he was about to say something but decided against it. Akashi was watching as Furihata shuffled on his feet, threw him a glance and then turned back to the wall his spine straight and his hand shaking yet sure. He pushed some button in the wall as it seemed. Akashi was expecting something to happen and sure enough, Furihata did as well since he looked around in the room, before he once again became nervous after nothing happened. Akashi wanted to interrupt him when suddenly Furihata spoke before him.

"I thought something would happen, Sei." Then he clasped his hands firmly in front of his mouth and looked at Akashi, anxious but mostly just shocked as if he had not intended to speak up in front of him.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

He had done it, he finally had a slip of tongue. He really wanted to bite that offending thing in his mouth off in that instance. How on earth could that happen? He heard the calming voice beside him just faintly.

"You opened a door, Kouki. It is not in this room, though." It was Sei, he glanced to his side. However what he said did not help Furihata in that moment.

"Sei?" This time it was Akashi that spoke up. Furihata really wanted to bury himself alive. His hands still clasped in front of his mouth he looked Akashi in the eyes. Still not sure what to do. It was just too much. Where was a window when he needed one so that he could throw himself to the outside world.

"Kouki, we have to go. This mechanism has a time limit. Otherwise, they would have found that room earlier."

Furihata just wanted to run off. Why was this so difficult? "Just tell Akashi to follow. He will. Trust me." Furihata glanced to Sei and nodded.

"P-please follow me." He pressed out and began to walk behind Sei, not really waiting for Akashi and he sure as hell did not want to turn around. The blood was rushing in his ears thus he wasn't even able to hear anything at all. He swallowed. This was a disaster. Why did he even speak up? It was just the spur of the moment, he really had expected something to happen instantly. It was also Sei's fault for not telling him beforehand that the mechanism opened a door in an entirely different room. He hurried after Sei when he noticed that there was a big gap between them. They entered a big hall. Chandeliers with crystals were hanging from the ceiling, but Sei was just walking by, unimpressed by everything. The furniture or the artistic way the whole room was painted, the pictures, it looked somehow western in its style.

Yet he kept up with Sei and sure was surprised that Akashi hadn't spoken at all after askingly saying Sei. That was at least something positive about his situation. Akashi had the patience of a saint. His eyes fell on Sei's back as his steps quickened and they ended up in front of an opening in the wall. It was a small square that was opened up. There was another button inside. Sei just nodded towards it and Furihata swallowed nervously before pushing that button. This time though something creaked audible, and then it crunched as if sand was ground against stone. It really was not a pleasant sound.

Opening up was a small room, it wasn't too big and the more important part was that it was pitch black. When he looked inside he couldn't see a thing. Maybe they should have brought torches. He bit his bottom lip.

"I would like to have an explanation." Furihata's eyes widened as he turned around to see Akashi cross armed behind him. There was no smile on his lips but a rather thoughtful expression on his face.

"Tell him."

Furihata nodded once absentmindedly, still caught in the red of Akashi's eyes, he swallowed and opened his mouth but no sound came out. He looked down on his hands, playing with his fingers and pinching his skin here and there. This whole explanation would be harder than it should. He saw Akashi move from the corner of his eyes and shrank away but very soon noticed that his fear was not reasonable at this point since Akashi just... closed the secret door?

"Now, Furihata. We will go up to my room. This room will stay a secret from other members of this household and _you_ will explain this whole ordeal." Akashi mustered him after pushing the button for the secret door to close. "It does not seem to be something you want to address in front of everyone. Which means we will need to go up to my room. Far away from earshot."

Furihata nodded slowly, he really didn't want to deny Akashi anything anymore, he had to tell the other finally. He swallowed aginst his beating heart and followed as Akashi took the lead. He seemed to be in hurry yet was slow enough for Furihata to follow. It didn't take long for them to arrive in Akashi's room. It was big and Akashi instantly offered him a chair and he himself sat down on his far too big bed, crossed his legs and looked like his patience was running dry.

"I- Akashi, uhm-"

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"You mentioned Sei while we were in the storage room. You were acting strangely all day, to be entirely honest. Who were you following? Is it some kind of call from outside giving you directions?" Akashi knew that it couldn't be a call from the outside. Furihata acted too much like he was actually following someone. So once again Akashi waited for the other to be ready to speak up. He was getting impatient and to a certain degree it also creeped him out that such a mechanism existed in his house and was known by a person who never set foot on these grounds.

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

Akashi's eyebrow shot up askingly. He mustered Furihata from head to toe and just signaled him with his eyes to go on, that he would in fact not get an answer to that absurd question. Furihata looked at his fingers and began fumbling again, but didn't say a word for a long time. The silence between them stretching and stretching, feeling unbearable nearly. Akashi uncrossed his legs and leaned forwards propping himself on his knees as he looked to Furihata, his mouth was covered by his hands as he supported his head with them. Furihata breathed in and out finally looked up from his hands, this time with a determined look, his nervousness masked by this decisive demeanor. Interesting.

"It will sound crazy. Even I couldn't believe it for a long time." He still wasn't making any sense but Akashi knew that they'd get there, patience was the key. "I can see a dead person, not any person but an ancestor of yours. He has the same name as you, that's why I said Sei in that basement." Furihata ended his speech, still looking at Akashi.

At first, Akashi considered to just throw Furihata out of his house, but the seriousness the other teen had was intriguing. It didn't feel like he was lying. Yet again Akashi didn't know Furihata well. He breathed in sharply and straightened his posture not breaking eye-contact with Furihata.

"So you are telling me you can see, another Akashi Seijuurou?" He cocked an eyebrow when Furihata shook his head.

"His name is Kohaku Seijuurou." Was the simple answer he offered as if it was the most obvious thing to know about the past of his family.

A smile played on Akashi's lips before it died down to a very serious expression. "Okay, let us accept that you are able to see ghosts, and not any ghost at that but a long lost heir from the past, who is not Akashi Seijuurou but Kohaku Seijuurou. Now, however, I still do not see the point as to why you would need to visit my home." He mustered Furihata, his look sharp and demanding.

"Well... I have a feeling I can help him to not be stuck here on earth. I went over every possibility, looked in libraries, on the internet but I couldn't find anything at all." Furihata released a resigned sigh. It was interesting how the other suddenly was comfortable enough about telling all this, it still sounded crazy, but the name Kohaku had sparked something in the back of Akashi's mind. He would have to look into his family tree after this. "I am so close to the answer, Akashi. And to be honest I need help. I just... I can't find what it is that binds him to our world. He died centuries ago and that not even in a very pleasant way..."

Akashi hummed thoughtfully and stood then up, giving Furihata a look which meant for him to do the same, and he did. Furihata stood up, suddenly very nervous again. Akashi sighed. It had been by far better when he had stopped being nervous. However, once again Akashi couldn't act like it was entirely Furihata's fault. The other was shifting on his feet, playing with the hem of his shirt as he fled Akashi's gaze.

"Look..." Akashi paused shortly. "Furihata, this is much to take for today. I will offer you to stay the night. It is late already and you live quite a mile away from my home. You still can go though if you want to that is." He was expecting some kind of answer to come from Furihata when he once again noticed that the teen was concentrated on the space beside him, listening to someone before he nodded to himself and looked up to Akashi.

"I uhm... I will stay if that is no problem..."

Akashi nodded as a response and took out his phone, dialing the number of Akira. He told him about his visitor staying and then turned to Furihata again. "Akira will show where you will stay the night."

Furihata just nodded and shifted from one foot to the other, an uncomfortable silence enveloping them. Akashi looked at his own feet in a loss for words after the other confessed something Akashi could have never foreseen. He pursed his lips and then bit on his bottom lip, thoughtful. The name Kohaku seemed so familiar, he would have to do some research when Furihata left for his room. It had been more of a necessity that he kept Furihata at his house until he checked on the details. He may be a nice person but he did in fact not trust everyone and he sure wanted this to end without it becoming a big problem. If Furihata stayed, which he luckily did, he could check the details and if everything went according to his plans, talk further about the matter the next day, if now Furihata would get to know his anger or mercy stood in the stars. He sighed and looked at the teen, he was watching Akashi and averted his eyes quickly when Akashi looked up. Somehow endearing Akashi thought to himself. He huffed a laugh and then turned to the door when it was opened. Akira had arrived.

"Master Akashi, I am at your service."

"Our guest needs a bedroom. He will stay the night."

Akira just nodded his understanding and turned then to Furihata.

"Furihata Kouki, was it?" A nod. "Please follow me."

The both disappeared from his bedroom, Akashi though sat down, placed his face between his palms and took a deep breath. He had to think this through properly.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Furihata's heart was beating hard against his rib cage, it felt like it would escape its confinement any second now. He swallowed nervously. His steps echoed as he followed Akira and they did in fact not speak at all as he was lead down a long corridor. When Akira opened the door to one of the rooms, he couldn't keep himself from giving a sound of surprise. This would be the room he stayed in? He was left alone pretty much right after the room was shown to him. Akira really didn't seem like the talkative type. Furihata walked around in the huge room, each item looked more expensive than everything he possessed counted together. He didn't even dare to touch anything as he wandered about in awe and inspected each of the furniture individually, saw the amazing craftsmanship behind it all.

"Is all of this handmade?" Furihata turned to Sei.

"Yes."

"Amazing." He then breathed out and just slowly touched the wooden surface of the nightstand, slowly wiping his finger over it.

"There isn't even one grain of dust." He said while looking at his finger. "The surface felt so smooth."

His steps soon lead him to the bed and he looked at the dark covers, it was bluish? Just really carefully he stuck his hand out and placed it on the duvet, it felt like heaven, even the surface felt like a cloud. He hummed in the back of his throat.

"This feels so soft..." maybe he was a bit too awestruck but damn him, this opportunity wouldn't lay itself bare another time, so he just touched the bed for a while.

"If you are finished molesting the bed, I would like to inform you that you should call your mother, Kouki."

At that sentence, Furihata turned around with wide eyes and cheeks glowing red. "I- I-"

He just heard a light laughter from the other before he sat down on the bed. Furihata on the other hand, just huffed and turned around, without a pout of course.

"I'm going to call her now." He fished for his mobile and dialed the number of his mother, she picked up soon. He explained the situation and told her over and over that he would be okay until she was convinced and he could hang up. A sigh left his mouth as he sat down on the bed. Somehow it felt like he was breaking some boundaries when he just used the stuff in the room, he tried to ignore it though. It had been offered to him after all.

"Kouki?"

He turned his head to Sei. "Hm?"

"Akashi probably does some research right now."

Furihata hummed in approval. "Yeah."

"If you want, I could look what he does and then inform you." Sei furthered his speech.

To that Furihata shot up from his sitting position and looked at Sei shocked, he couldn't believe what Sei just suggested. "No." Furihata then said firmly. "I don't want to spy on him."

Sei nodded with a smile. "I wish more people were as pure hearted as you, Kouki."

That took Furihata by surprise he scratched the back of his head and sat then down again, decided not to react to Sei. He was worried though and a corner in his mind wanted to say yes so that he knew what to expect when Akashi talked to him, but it just wouldn't sit right with his consciousness if he did. A sigh left his mouth.

"Sei, I don't know what to do..." it scared him to no end. What if Akashi would tell him to leave immediately in the middle of the night? That he doubted since he really seemed to have become nicer yet he was still scared to no end.

"Kouki, do not worry, after his research the seed of doubt will be placed in his heart, doubt that he might have been wrong about you lying and eventually he will believe your words and help you." Furihata looked at Sei, who smiled at him softly. "Trust me."

"I-... okay." Was the only response Furihata could offer in that situation. He closed his eyes and let himself fall onto the way too soft bed.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Akashi was sitting in the library of their home and going through his family tree. Until now he hadn't really been interested in his ancestors, now, however, he was searching for the name Kohaku like a madman. He had heard his tutor talking about this family name once. It was one of his duties to know about his past as well after all, how the Akashi name came to be. He coughed from the dust. How very inconvenient this everything was. It shouldn't take this long to find a damn name. But no matter how far he looked, he couldn't find Seijuurou Kohaku. It was like the name was erased. But the surname Kohaku was very prominent when he went back three or four generations.

He sighed. Well, at least he knew that Furihata did know something about his family he couldn't have possibly known without paying tons of money to obtain the knowledge if it ever went to the outside world. A yawn escaped his mouth and he stretched when something caught his eye. Of course, he had searched for direct relatives in the past, like a grandparent or something similar, but he did not think about searching through deceased uncles and aunts. His eyes widened when he saw that the man died young. 23 had been his age. The reason of his death wasn't stated, though.

He scratched his head as he looked further through the papers and books and pictures until he finally found a small page where one drawing of his past uncle was, silver hair and mismatching eyes huh? A soft laugh escaped Akashi's throat at the irony. He read through the document and saw that the reason for his death was murder. His eyes widened. Furihata did mention that the poor man hadn't had a pleasant death, but Akashi hadn't thought of murder and that from being pushed into a well. He placed his hand on his nape and moved his head from side to side to loosen the tension in his neck, rolled his shoulders to sooth the pain from sitting at the table for hours.

He searched for another hour until he gave up when he couldn't find anything else about Kohaku Seijuurou. Which was strange since any other family member had page over page of information dedicated to them. Just Seijuurou Kohaku seemed to be forgotten. He stood up to tidy up the table so that nobody knew what he was up to. The most difficult part for now, was to accept that Furihata could see a ghost not only that but also talk to him and tried to help him get some rest. It sounded absurd. But these pages had proven that the man he talked about existed, was real and the most important part that Furihata hadn't lied. He hummed and then made his way to his room but decided on a detour. He walked down the corridor where Furihata's room was and just as he had thought, there were still voices coming from inside the room. He had expected that Furihata might not be able to sleep yet. He stood still in front of the door for a long time, nearly decided to walk away but then stayed anyways. He knocked softly at the door.

"Yes?"

"May I come in?"

"Okay."

There it was again that nervous undertone. Akashi wanted nothing more than for it to disappear. He bit his bottom lip but noticed soon that very unwanted behavior and stopped it. He pushed the knob down and went inside the room. As it seemed Akira had already brought Furihata his night attire. He smiled and closed the door behind himself. The room was lit dimly.

"I came to the conclusion that you did not lie." Was the first thing Akashi uttered before he pulled a chair towards himself. "And as you said his death was not a pleasant one. I did not expect murder when you said unpleasant."

He was surprised when he saw Furihata's eyes widen. The teen looked shocked and then stood up from the bed his expression changing to quite scandalized. "He was not murdered! It was an accident!" It was cute how he blushed right after and began stuttering around apologies of how he did not mean to shout like that.

Akashi laughed. He really did. He was amused. The laughter soon died down to a smile and he gestured for Furihata to sit down. It was really interesting how the other had been able to make him laugh so easily.

"Do you mind clarifying it for me? What do you mean he was not murdered? That was what the documents said."

A sad smile played on Furihata's lips. "Of course that's what they say, that's what it was officially labeled as, but the story is so much more than that. I might not be as much of a good story teller as Sei but I will give my best explaining it to you!"

Furihata looked sad yet determined to tell this story. "We have all night." Was Akashi's only reply.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Kohaku watched them for a long time, how Kouki began to explain from the start. He might have laughed if he wasn't so keen on not interrupting this whole exchange. A smile played on his lips as he watched Akashi. The teen looked interested and he genuinely cared, the smile on his lips looked so soft. Kouki on the other hand, was finally relaxed around Akashi as he told Kohaku's tale, how his eyes changed from hopeful and happy to sad and angry. Kohaku though left the room. He couldn't take it another time, hearing about Masaaki and him, to hear how their lives ended in a tragedy. He gulped down the lump in his throat. If there was one thing Kohaku had been right about then it was bringing these two together. They had looked so natural with each other after resolving all that tension. It was a nice change for Akashi, and a new found friend for Kouki. If Masaaki could've seen him now he would have laughed about how much Kohaku had changed, but he couldn't help it, centuries of life and a very special kid like Kouki did that to a ghost with no beating heart even.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Akashi yawned and stretched his joints. They really had stayed up all night. The tale was more like a tragedy one would write in a novel than a seemingly real story, which occurred in his family. His eyes followed Furihata's each movement as the other too stretched and yawned into his hand, apologizing right after.

"This is the whole story, I didn't tell each detail Sei told me, but uhm... these are the most important parts."

"So you need help to find that something that binds Sei to this reality?" Akashi was surprised that he just adopted the nickname Furihata used.

"Yes." He nodded as if to clarify further that this was his intention.

A smile washed over Akashi's features before he looked around. "Sei is not here right now, is he?"

The other looked around in the room. "Hmm, no. I don't see him right now, he will return soon I'd say. I mean he probably just didn't want to hear everything again... You know. He cried while he told me his past..." Furihata's gaze turned to his lap. "I was surprised since before he seemed to be so controlled always." He gulped. "The worst part though is that I couldn't give him any kind of comfort." Then his gaze returned to Akashi, his eyes determined. "That's why I need to help him. He deserves that rest... He did nothing wrong yet he is bound here, has no means for happiness."

Akashi nodded slowly. It had surprised him when he came to know that Kohaku Seijuurou was gay and that all of the reasons why his past was erased this could be the actual one. It was making Akashi's stomach lurch. "I will help you." Akashi then said. "I am still not entirely convinced. But I will help you to either prove you wrong or right and until then I choose to believe your tale."

The smile that formed on Furihata's face made Akashi's heart hop. "Thank you!" Furihata jumped up from the bed and nearly embraced Akashi as it seemed since the teen stopped mid-air and coughed awkwardly into his fist before smoothing his bedwear. "I- I mean I am grateful. I-"

Then Akashi laughed. Furihata really was amusing, his behaviours indicated such innocence that it made Akashi's heart warm. After he was finished laughing his gaze returned to Furihata who seemed to pout which made Akashi laugh a little more and that even after he had decided to stop. The beautiful thing was that Furihata chimed in shyly. Akashi's laughs died down to a smile. He could blame the lack of sleep for this little outburst later.

"So how do you plan this to work?" Akashi then asked still smiling.

"Uhm... To be honest. I- I did not think that far. I mean I wasn't even sure I would get out of here alive." Akashi's smile dropped, not because he was angry but since this showed how scared Furihata had been of him just yesterday. "No! Please don't get me wrong, I was just- I- I-" He was fumbling for words again Akashi wanted to say something about how he was right since their first encounter had been nothing but scary yet Furihata came to word before him. "I was just scared at the beginning but I noticed soon that you- that you aren't half as scary as I imagined you to be... At least I mean that-" He breathed out long through his mouth and breathed in again. Probably trying to calm himself to form at least some proper sentences. "You have become really nice, just as Sei... You know he can be very mean too."

Akashi cocked an eyebrow to that, this wasn't something Furihata had mentioned while telling him about what happened.

"You- I mean he told me that you and he... that you are pretty similar in some regards and I think... I think you too have uhm- have a split personality?" Furihata ended his speech rather gracelessly yet it made Akashi smile.

"Not bad." He stood up from his chair and looked down to Furihata, he hadn't noticed until now that he was slightly taller than the other. "You are quite sharp." He turned his head to the door. "Which brings me to my next question. How come that you have not been able to figure this mystery out yet?" His gaze returned to Furihata as he uttered that.

"I do have some leads." Akashi saw Furihata's adam's apple bob. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Furihata's throat longer than necessary. Then his eyes snapped up again. "I was thinking that I might find something at the well he died..."

Akashi hummed and turned around to look out the window. The well was a good beginning yet Akashi doubted that it could be the thing that bound Kohaku Seijuurou. It would be the place that was filled with negative memories the most. "I doubt that." His eyes returned to Furihata just to see the other look disappointed for a second but his expression soon returned to the former one.

"What do you think it could be then?"

"I am thinking, we should find everything that belonged to Sei. Everything he laid his hand on which is in this house." It was easier said than done. The mansion was huge and probably everything that Kohaku Seijuurou had touched was long gone.

"That's ridiculous." Akashi's raised his eyebrows watched as Furihata clasped his hand in front of his mouth expression shocked about what he said. "I- I mean... We have to narrow it down further. I don't think we can find everything. There has to be some other way..." He said between his fingers until dropping his hands down rather awkwardly.

Akashi chuckled. "What do you have in mind?" It was interesting how a night full of tales gave Furihata the opportunity to become so comfortable around him. Akashi had to admit that he did in fact not dislike it. It was nice to have someone disagree with him from time to time. As long as it didn't happen too often.

"We could search for the ring." There was a sheepish grin on Furihata's face as he said that.

"I am not fond of disappointing you, Furihata. But I am quite sure we do not have that item here."

"How can you be sure? This house is huge.."

"We keep close watch on our items in this house. They are all noted down."

"I see..." Furihata sighed. "And here I thought I finally had it. You know that ring just came into my mind after telling you everything again. It's funny how I didn't think of it before." He sat down on the bed placing his head between his palms. "I can't believe that I am practically at zero again."

Akashi wanted to say something in return but decided against it when he saw that Furihata's head snapped up and he looked towards the door. Akashi followed his gaze to see nothing. Of course, he couldn't see anything. "Sei returned?" He saw Furihata nod.

"He says that he took a walk to not disturb our..." Furihata's face turned red as he stopped speaking and looked pointedly not in Akashi's direction. It was endearing, however, now Akashi was curious as to what happened. He cocked an eyebrow. "Sei!" He might need some time to adjust that Furihata might speak but not directly with him. The teen shook his head and Akashi began to laugh amused at his expression. "Oh come on, I- Ok Akashi since Sei is being ridiculous, I guess we'll have to deal with this alone." Akashi had an asking look on his face as the teen stood up from the bed and nearly stormed to the door just to stop, face some shades darker of red. That Sei seemed to be an interesting person especially since he gave Akashi the opportunity to see Furihata's many faces. This time though he stifled his laugh and coughed into his fist. "Uhm- Akashi... I- I need to change."

Ah, of course, the night clothes, Furihata had to change back. "Well, then I will leave you alone." He nodded his goodbye and left the room, he just heard faintly how Furihata began to talk again, probably to Sei.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Why would you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Make me blush!"

"That is hardly my fault, Kouki."

"It _was_ your fault," Furihata whined as he flopped down onto the bed and buried his face in the covers. "Who mentions things like _kissing_ and... and!" Furihata gestured frantically into thin air. "I mean it's obvious what we did all night!"

Sei laughed. "I was not here, Kouki." He teased further.

"Please stop."

"Okay, but only because I think I am being immature."

Furihata turned his head and glared at Sei. "What a genius you are."

"I did hear that quite a lot." He smiled.

Furihata groaned when he buried his face back in the covers. "You are insufferable."

"Yet you will miss me when I am gone."

Furihata tensed and did not look up this time because he knew that his face would betray his feelings. This was one of the thoughts that he shoved further back in his mind. That helping Sei meant losing him as a friend. He lay still for some time until he really decided to change.

"I want to change." He said still not looking up. He couldn't trust himself yet.

"I understand. I will wait for you outside."

He nodded and first peaked if Sei was still there. When he was sure the other had left he straightened up. He did not want to lose Sei as a friend... But that was being selfish. The other needed his rest, he deserved it. He bit his bottom lip as he began to change. He had to get a grip on himself before he went outside.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Kohaku watched from afar as the two teens ate breakfast. The tension of the prior day seemed to have lifted. They talked and joked, were acting like two people who came to know each other. The most important part though was, they smiled. Their faces were lit up in an expression that was all too familiar for Kohaku, smiles he had shared with Masaaki before their grand reveal to become more than friends, smiles that meant the world yet nothing at all, smiles just certain people had the power to woke from inside of you, smiles that were reserved for the person that made you realise things about yourself, smiles that made you grow. A sad look settled on Kohaku's face. Caught in the days where he still knew those smiles, caught in the dark thoughts how unfair life sometimes was. He turned away from the two, heart aching, about to cry again.

He had changed, maybe became a person not even Masaaki could recognize at this point. He hadn't even cried on the day they decided to part ways... Masaaki had never seen him cry, had never witnessed how much more vulnerable he was, he had refused to show it even though he trusted him, loved him so dearly that his heart could have burst any second when being close to him. Yet now, when talking to Kouki it all came back. The pain of having to part ways, the pain of losing, the pain of regrets, the pain of mistakes, the pain of death. He bit his bottom lip and walked away, with silent steps, as if he hadn't ever existed. He gritted his teeth, his heart clenching in his chest as if it tried to kill him again. A shuddering breath escaped his mouth and he fell to his knees shaking to the core. The world wasn't fair. The flash of light he saw in Akashi's and Kouki's eyes as they talked to each other. It just wasn't fair...

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Furihata was on the train towards his home. A smile still stuck to his face, he couldn't believe that Akashi was helping him so willingly. He did not fail to remind Furihata that the just believed him for now though. A sigh left his lips. His smile slowly dropped when he remembered that Kohaku had just left in the middle of the day, hadn't let himself be seen not even when Furihata decided to return home. He asked himself what the reason could be and he surely hoped that Kohaku was waiting at his home for him. He swallowed down the sadness forming in his throat, bit his bottom lip. Had he done something wrong? In that second his phone buzzed, he unlocked it and saw that Akashi had written him. They had exchanged number before he left.

 **From: Akashi Seijuurou**  
**To: Furihata Kouki**

**Please let me know as soon as you arrive home.**

Furihata stifled a silent laugh. Akashi had already told this to him before he left his mansion. He had first wanted his driver to bring Furihata home since he had been his guest and his trip would be a long one but Furihata had declined. As it seemed though Akashi would probably not forget to remind him of his promise to notify him when he arrived home. He breathed out long through his nose, buried his face into his scarf. It was still so cold outside. His eyes cast down as he yawned, face still buried in his scarf. This whole weekend had been eventful and stressful yet Furihata had to admit it hadn't been a bad experiences. He closed his eyes, waited to arrive at his station, thoughts once again returning to Kohaku.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Kohaku was sitting on Kouki's bed when he heard the door open. He waited, didn't stand up to greet the other at the door. His eyes shifted up when the door to the room opened and he saw Kouki smile at his mobile while typing something. He didn't even notice Kohaku for the better part of the time as he stared on his mobile. Kohaku let him though, he didn't try to pry his attention from the device. The little squeak from Kouki was enough for Kohaku to know that he had finally looked up from his mobile. An amused smile settled on his face.

"Hello, Kouki." He smiled as he looked at Kouki again.

"Where have you been?!"

"Wh-"

"Sei you can't just disappear like that... I was-" Kouki breathed in deep and then out. "I was so worried about you!"

Kohaku's eyes widened in response.

"I thought- I thought..." his face turned to the ground, Kohaku could see him worry his bottom lip, though. He looked sad, with his eyebrows scrunched up like that. Kohaku stood up from his sitting position and went up to Kouki. He would have laid his hand on his shoulder if not for his non-existent body.

"I apologize." He searched for Kouki's gaze, tried to look him in the eyes but the other just wouldn't lift his head. "I-" there were no words in Kohaku's mind, he didn't know what he should do with himself, or with anyone at all. He swallowed down a lump in his throat, he couldn't just tell Furihata why he left, that wouldn't be fair...

He wished Masaaki back, he wished to live again, he wished that Masaaki and he would have lived now, he wished so many things but all of these were impossible to archive. So he turned his head away from Furihata, the teen didn't need to witness his weak state again.

"Sei..." Kohaku's head snapped back to Furihata who was looking up to him now. "Please don't do this again. I- I wouldn't know... I mean I know you won't stay here forever and that I am helping you to... to get your rest." A shuddering breath left his mouth. "But you can't just disappear without saying goodbye, promise me..." his eyes were burning as they looked into Kohaku's. Kohaku swallowed and nodded in response. Only that. Tempted to turn away his gaze. This felt so intimate, this situation, two people talking for the last time maybe? Exchanging their worries. He swallowed again.

"Do not worry." Was the only verbal response he could muster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for always being so inconsistent with my updates  
> but well sometimes I don't even have the motivation to get out of bed  
> so my writing suffers as well... sadly  
> but just so you guys know, I love writing these stories for you,  
> posting another chapter and reading your opinion if now correcting a typo or grammar mistake  
> or saying hello or if you so feel saying something nice about the story or my writing  
> thank you for being there each of you, those who comment and those who don't comment  
> thanks for existing  
> never stop being who you are  
> you are strong  
> I love all of you


	4. Courage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!
> 
> I'm sorry for taking so long again, but at least now I can assure you  
> that the last chapter will take a month at most since I only have to write the last scene!  
> (You have no idea how hard it is to find a proper ending for a story that is so dear to you!  
> I really honestly like this story haha.)
> 
> Have fun while reading! (also look at my end notes there is an info about a little change I made,  
> I can't tell rn since it would spoil stuff in the story so yeah! don't forget to look!!)

After exchanging numbers it was weeks of writing each other before they were able to arrange another weekend where both of them had off. Or rather where Akashi had time to spare. Furihata bit his bottom lip as he stood in front of the garden gates. The sun was warming his skin, it was still a bit cold but he could feel how winter turned to spring. A smile spread over his face. The buzzing sound ringed and the gate slowly opened.  
  
"Are you ready?" He turned his head towards Sei.   
  
"Yes."   
  
"Okay."   
  
He turned his head back to the garden and started to walk. Once again he was lead into a world that seemed to be so much different from his own. The rose bushes had started to bear leaves, their prior sad winter nakedness replaced by green sprouts. Even now without the roses blooming there was still the sweet scent of them in the air. Furihata inhaled deeply. Just as the first time he was here, they filled his lungs with a calming feeling, as if there was a soul wishing for him to be welcomed here. His steps seemed to carry him with so much lightness after smelling the roses. When he finally arrived at the mansion's door he saw Akashi already waiting for him.   
  
"Please come in," Akashi said stepping aside from the door frame.   
  
Furihata nodded with a smile and stepped inside. "Thanks, for having me again."   
  
"Actually, I was looking forward to today."   
  
Furihata's eyes widened just the slightest bit and he was quite happy that his face was turned away from Akashi. There had to be some hints of red on his face now after all. He coughed awkwardly trying to regain his composure but soon became redder when he heard a silent laugh from Sei. He shot an angry glare in his direction, which caused Sei to laugh even more.

"Well then, how about you bring your belongings up to your room. You will stay in the same room as last time."

The only thing Furihata could do was nod as a response, his head was bent to the ground as he followed Akashi.  
  
"You see, I cannot wait to investigate that room. I laid out the servants' schedules so that they would not have the opportunity to disturb us."   
  
It was somewhat interesting that Akashi tended to talk a lot ever since they started texting. Furihata had always had the impression of him being rather silent and observant. That had changed, though, he knew that Akashi could talk a lot depending on the subject, he also knew that Akashi had knowledge in a variety of topics. He even offered Furihata to help him with some classes.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

It was, honest to god, a new experience that he enjoyed talking so much. Akashi watched Furihata as the teen placed his bag near the bed. He always talked with people that was true indeed, it was polite after all, however, it was rather rare that he himself tried to get people to react and answer to him that he himself offered new subject to talk about or even text about. With a swift movement he turned on his heels and started heading down the corridor, Furihata had been finished and would follow soon. They didn't exchange words then, though. It was not necessary.  
  
The atmosphere around them was not tense as it had been the first time they met with each other here. Furihata seemed to be more relaxed. The texting had helped a great deal as it seemed.

When they arrived in the small room they activated the mechanism, took some torches and headed for the secret room. When they arrived it was time for even Akashi's eyes to go wide. True, the room was small, however, it was packed with different belongings. Portraits, shelves, clothes. It looked like everything was custom made. Akashi stepped inside and looked around, saw a big portrait of someone with silver hair. He stepped closer, heard the crunching of Furihata's shoes behind him. Then the other gasped and he turned around sharp raising an eyebrow askingly.  
  
"Th-that's Sei!" Furihata gasped and bent down to turn the portrait around so that it wasn't lying on its side anymore.   
  
The person in the painting was not smiling. Eyes a stoic stare that was directed to the front. It looked like any other portrait Akashi had seen from his ancestors.   
  
"Kohaku Seijuurou, huh?"   
  
"Yes." Akashi just heard as Furihata walked away, the light of his torch jumping through the little room. "What does all of this mean?"   
  
"Ask him."   
  
"Huh?"   
  
"Ask Sei. You are the only one who can talk to him after all."   
  
"I... uhm... okay."   
  
The portrait had a distinct cold feeling, Akashi could tell that the person modeling for it did in fact not want to be remembered this way.   
  
"He says, he saw his father put his belongings here after his funeral."   
  
Akashi hummed a response and walked over to one of the dressers. He pulled out the first drawer and looked inside. It was filled with old papers, he squinted his eyes. There was Sei's biography, something each of his ancestors had. This showed him, why Sei's was missing. His father really had tried to erase every trace of his son without destroying everything, since it would have been too suspicious...   
  
"A-akashi!"   
  
His head snapped around and he hurried over to Furihata's side. "What is it?"   
  
"I think." It was quite loud how Furihata swallowed before talking on. "I think. I found Sei's ring."   
  
"What?"   
  
"Look."   
  
Akashi stepped closer and took the small object in his hand. True to Sei's words it was small and delicate, made for a woman's finger. Yet it was beautiful, the amber and ruby stone glowing as the light of the torches bounced off of the walls. They shimmered.   
  
"Beautiful." He heard Furihata breathe out. "Oh, my god. We, could... maybe this!" His eyes widened. "Sei, do you feel anything?"   
  
Even now after accepting the ghost, it was strange to hear his own name and still not be addressed, he waited for Furihata to be finished with his conversation.   
  
"What? Really?" A thoughtful pause settled over the room. "Are you sure? I mean, I thought... But what is it if not this, Sei?" Another pause. "Yeah, I know that you don't know... I'm sorry."   
  
"My apologies for interrupting, but what is going on?"   
  
"Ah, uhm... Sorry... I somehow end up forgetting you can't see or hear him..." Furihata scratched the back of his head. "Well, you see, it seems like this isn't what will help Sei. He says, he doesn't feel anything, that it's just as before." He bit his lip. "Maybe if we bring the ring closer to him?"   
  
Akashi placed the small object in Furihata's palm and nodded. "We cannot do more than try, Furihata."   
  
"Yes... uhm. Yes you're right."   
  
The only thing Akashi could do was watch as Furihata took the ring between his pointer finger and thumb and held it closer to the center of the room. So Sei was there, huh? Carefully he observed the scene unfolding in front of him. First, he saw Furihata's determined look which turned worried and then was replaced by a frustrated mumble.   
  
"And I thought we had it. I just... I'm sorry, Sei."   
  
"Sorry to interrupt again," Akashi said and waited for Furihata to react to him. "Maybe your first idea with the well is still an option, maybe we can find something there. I mean it might be torn down due to the accident, but we could still try. Sei would have to take us there, though."   
  
His eyebrows shot up when he saw how Furihata shook his head. "Sei says, he visited that place after I talked about him that it could be the well."   
  
Akashi hummed, this was the first time he had no idea what to do. He could deal with first aid, knew his way with words, knew how to get what he wanted, knew math, literature, strategies. But this. He had no idea how he could contribute any ideas or solutions to this. He sighed and crossed his arms. What were they supposed to do? He had promised to help Furihata until this ended. Which meant they would have to search together for a longer while. He felt a warm feeling creep up in his chest. Happiness was what he identified. He was happy that he had a reason to spend more time with Furihata. A small smile played on his lips.   
  
"Akashi."   
  
"Hm?"   
  
"Sei says..." a pause. "Are you sure Sei?" He was not looking at Akashi. "Okay." A breath. "Akashi, Sei wants you to keep everything in this room, especially this ring." Furihata placed it in Akashi's palm. "He says he doesn't want anyone else but you to have it."   
  
Akashi's eyes widened. He looked at Furihata rather unsure and confused but he would not turn this wish down, he couldn't. "Okay. I assure you I will keep this ring, I cannot promise about the other belongings, though. After our search is finished here I will notify my father." He nodded to himself before he looked around once again, they should probably leave since there didn't seem to be anything of help in here. "It is quite dusty, shall we go out again? We found what we searched for."   
  
He just saw fleetingly how Furihata nodded.   
  
"Akira has prepared a bath for you. We will talk again at dinner." He closed the door to the hidden room before he turned around to face Furihata. "I have to bring this ring to my room." He smiled at Furihata reassuringly.   
  
"Okay. I will be waiting in my room for you." Furihata smiled back.   
  
When their eyes met Akashi's heart might have beat a bit harder against his rib-cage, but nobody had to know...

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Sei was watching them wishfully as he stood at the door. It was obvious from the way Akashi acted towards Kouki that he was more than just interested in him. It made him smile a sad smile, a smile filled with sorrow.

Was it wrong of him that he wished it was him and Masaaki that would sit there at the table? Was it selfish to ask for another chance?

A sigh left his mouth. They were really talking about how to help him. Kohaku on the other hand knew that there was no helping him at this point. There seemed to be nothing that could help him to escape this lonely world. He closed his eyes when he saw the bright smile in Kouki’s face, when he noticed the way Akashi tried to be closer to him albeit not knowing how to do it. He probably didn’t even notice it himself.

That was how the dinner proceeded. Kohaku watched and waited, and waited, just as he had done for the past centuries. Waited with eyes closed and a stifling pain in his chest.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

“Sei?”

“Hm?”

“Are you alright?”

“Yes.”

“Okay…”

Kohaku left as silent snores filled the room.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

“Wow! Sei look!” Furihata was standing in the dining room waiting for Akashi so that they could have some breakfast. A painting had caught his eyes. It was a painting of a rose garden with a very beautiful woman in it. The white tables were such a welcoming contrast to the green and red that was the garden, the woman was wearing a white summer dress, her red hair was flowing with the wind as it seemed. Then Furihata’s eyes fell on the little sign at the right bottom corner of the painting. It was the artist’s signature probably. He knew that many artists and painters tended to do this; his mother did too. He stepped closer and then his eyes widened.

“I can’t believe this,” he whispered.

“Furihata?”

It wasn’t like he didn’t want to react to Akashi but he couldn’t take his eyes away from the signature. He wasn’t wrong. He couldn’t be. He had seen this signature many times in his life.

“Furihata Kouki.” Akashi’s stern voice finally broke Furihata out of his trance.

“Why are you staring at the painting?” The words were demanding. Stance straight. One that showed that he wouldn’t let this question go unanswered.

Furihata breathed in deep. “My mom painted this.” he then said in one breath.

It was Akashi’s time to draw his eyebrows up and look at Furihata in disbelief. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I am.” Furihata pointed at the signature without touching the painting. “This is her signature, I’ve seen it so many times. I couldn’t ever mistake it.”

Akashi nodded in response. It was fleeting, mere milliseconds, but Furihata saw a smile on Akashi’s lips.

“As it seems we have more in common than just a ghost that is my ancestor.”

Furihata didn’t know how to answer to that so he kept silent, his gaze returning to the painting. It had such a powerful feeling to it, yet it was calming in a way. He smiled at it, somehow it just felt like the right thing to do.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

“Mom.”

“Yes, Love?”

“Did you paint something for someone named Akashi?”

“Oh? That’s rather sudden. But yes. How did you know?”

“I saw it today at their home. Who’s that woman in the painting?”

A sad look hushed over Ayano’s features. “You see, Kouki. She was the wife of a former classmate of mine.” The smile that followed looked exhausted. “It was his gift for her, when she became ill. He wanted me to paint the only picture he had taken of her in her beloved rose garden.” she released a long breath. “She died a few years later. I still hope that the painting could give her some kind of ease to her pain.”

Furihata only nodded. This explained why he never saw Akashi’s mother. He bit his bottom lip. Having this information felt like he had intruded in Akashi’s personal life without asking.

“Thanks, mom.” he said as he left the room deep in thoughts.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

“Sei.”

“Yes, Kouki?”

“How could I persuade Akashi to tell me about his mother?”

Kohaku looked surprised at Furihata but answered rather dryly. “Just ask him.”

“W-wouldn’t that seem like I’m intruding in his personal life?” He was biting his bottom lip.

“Well, becoming friends can just happen if you ask personal questions about each other.”

“No you don’t understand… Wouldn’t it break his heart? She is... his mother after all…”

Kohaku had no fitting answer right away. He knew how devastated Akashi had been after his mother died, but he also knew how Kouki was when he lost his father. It was not comparable though, not entirely. Kouki lost his father in a much younger age and always had his supportive mother. Whereas Akashi lost his mother in an age that was important not only that his only emotional support disappeared from his life. So he kept silent for a few second more before he came up with a suitable answer.

“You can never know how he will react if you don’t ask. Thinking of all possibilities is sometimes more exhausting and frightening for oneself than the reaction of the person you might ask the question.”

He saw Kouki nod still wearing a troubled look.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

**From: Akashi Seijuurou** **  
** **To: Furihata Kouki**

**How was your day?**

Furihata stared at his phone for a long time. His day had been okay, however, he didn’t want to just answer with that. For some days now he was still thinking about Akashi and that he barely knew anything about him. True, Akashi also knew little about Furihata but then again he seemed to have this weird talent to read people. So in the end Furihata was the only one who knew near to nothing about Akashi.

 **From: Furihata Kouki** **  
** **To: Akashi Seijuurou**

**My day was okay, how about yours?**

For now small talk would do the trick, no?

 **From: Akashi Seijuurou** **  
** **To: Furihata Kouki**

**Tiring. However, still manageable.**

Furihata couldn’t imagine what Akashi must be doing to be tired, he seemed to be at the top of his game every time. Was it even related to school? Or something private? Furihata bit his bottom lip, he still wanted to know more about Akashi.

 **From: Furihata Kouki** **  
** **To: Akashi Seijuurou**

**Can I ask you something?**

When his mobile began ringing Furihata squeaked and had to clutch it firmly to not let it fall down. He did not expect to get a call at this hour of day. It was late at night, true they texted from time to time since either of them ended up asking the other about their day. But this was new. Furihata was still staring at the ringing phone in his hands. He had to pick up. He swallowed and then put the phone to his ear.

“H-Hello?”

“Good evening, Furihata.”

Furihata bit his bottom lip, he was sweating, why was he so nervous?

“You wanted to ask something?”

His eyes widened as he gnawed at his bottom lip. His question, what was his question again?

“Calm down, Furihata.”

“I-I’m calm…” His voice didn’t sound convincing at all. He could hear a sigh from the other end of the line.

“I think it would help your nerves if I were to call you each evening. I really thought we had resolved this issue after your second visit proceeded so smoothly.”

Each evening? Was Akashi kidding? Inside of Furihata something was panicking whereas another part of him wanted to do some kind of happy dance.

“I-” He didn’t even get to finish his sentence when Akashi started talking again.

“Besides, it’s calming talking to you.”

Furihata thought he misheard. Did Akashi really just say that?

“Now to your question, what was it?”

It was hard to swallow down his nerves, his mind was still very numb as he just asked what came to his mind first.

“The painting, was that your mom?”

And the alarm bells started ringing in his head. This happened when people did not think properly before talking. He didn’t want to ask this right away!

“Yes.” There was a pause. Furihata felt fidgety as he sat on his bed. “She passed away when I was in elementary school.”

“I’m sorry.” His eyes were cast down to his knees, what did he even plan to say besides this?

“Don’t be. It happened a long time ago.” Was Akashi just acting confident right now?

“Still… It must’ve been hard for you.”

Furihata was pressing the phone to his ear at this point when he heard how Akashi breathed, it was some kind of exhausted sigh.

“It was, at first. However, then…” Akashi paused mid speech.

“You don’t have to tell me, if you think it still hurts.” Furihata said fast before Akashi could talk on.

“No, I mean yes. However, I have a feeling it would do me good to talk to you about this.” There was a pause where Furihata could hear Akashi breathe in deeply. “It was hard at first but after my mother died... Some part of me changed. Someone else seemed to live my life. I was on autopilot, so to say, and just watched. Sometimes that is. It didn’t happen always. At first just at home...” Akashi paused again, Furihata asked himself if he had difficulties explaining this, if this was a topic that saddened him. “Then certain circumstances at school lead to me giving this other person my place. Whereas I just dwelled in my own mind until the Winter Cup.” Fruihata’s heart hoped at the mention of the Winter Cup, the day they won against Rakuzan.

“Now I have the courage to face this person that developed within me after my mother’s death. He isn’t a bad person, just someone that was created to help my mind to stay sane.” Furihata asked himself if he should interrupt, if Akashi would stop talking on his own and the most important question; how he could entrust him such a large part of himself after just knowing Furihata for a few months “I am grateful your team won at the Winter Cup. It opened my eyes and gave me the courage to see that letting go will neither help me nor the friends I made and nearly lost.”

Furihata was speechless, this answer was more than he could have asked for. It made him feel different, somehow as if Akashi had revealed a large part of himself to Furihata. A part that he revealed to nobody until now.

“Thank you for listening, Furihata.”

“I- I should be thanking you!” That came out louder then it was supposed to be. “I… Sorry. I mean thank you for, you know, for trusting me with this.”

There was a light laugh from the other side of the line that relaxed Furihata’s tense muscles a bit.

“You trusted me enough to tell me about a ghost, Furihata. With the costs of being labeled a lunatic. This is the least-”

“No, you don’t understand, Akashi! Telling you about Sei wasn’t hard… True you could have seen me as crazy, but we didn’t know each other. I was so scared of you, so that little thing wouldn’t have meant anything… Well, I mean, now it would because I’m glad to have you as a friend, but then, then it wouldn’t have mattered. Not that I’m not grateful that you’re helping me, and listening and worrying... “ He was rambling again. He should stop. “B-But what you just told me was such an important part of yourself, thank you.” Stop.

There was silence on Akashi’s end of the line. It made Furihata wonder what the hell he just said while he was rambling bullshit again. He knew he had thanked him and that he called him his friend and that in the past… Had he said something wrong?

“Furihata, then how about you tell me something about yourself. Something you never talk about.”

Furihata’s world stopped in that second. Something about himself? Was there anything he rarely talked about? At least something of this importance? He could tell Akashi about his father… He rarely ever talked about him.

“I think… There isn’t much I could tell you about myself… I mean, there is just… I lost my father in a far too young age which means I don’t remember him. What kind of person he was or if he loved me even. I just know that my mother loved him, still loves him and saw him in a few of her paintings.” He gnawed at his bottom lip. “I never had a pet, my grades were always average and I never had a girlfriend… Oh, I think I never told anybody that I was rejected by the girl I confessed to after winning the Winter Cup. She told me to be best in something at least and I thought maybe winning the Winter Cup was enough.” And he was talking bullshit again. “It wasn’t as it seems.”

“Hmm, I see.” Akashi paused, was he thinking about what to say? Did he even need to think about trivial things like that? “Then it was not meant to be Furihata. Wanting to date someone after they became the best in something is a terrible premise and excuse. She could’ve been upfront from the very beginning.”

“A-Anyways I don’t really want to talk about her. Do you have any pets?”

“I have a horse. Yukimaru.”

“Wow! You can ride horses? Is there even anything you can’t do?”

Furihata heard Akashi laugh silently.

Like this their remaining night proceeded, they talked about each other, learned a lot of things about each other. But the most important part was that Furihata could feel that their bond was growing. That this was the beginning of something special.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

It was really interesting to watch those two grow closer and closer with each passing day, with each passing week, with each passing month. Endearing to see Kouki smile at his mobile the second he saw the texts from Akashi. It somewhat brightened Kohaku’s day, seeing him smile that is. The dark feeling of longing stayed though; the wish to live now.

“Furihata, with whom are you texting?”

“Oh, it’s, uhm… just a friend, Fukuda.”

Kohaku nodded his silent agreement. Just a friend huh?

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Time flies by, the older you are, and it was true. Being centuries old, Kohaku didn’t even notice how the years went by. How Kouki grew from a staggering young teenager to a young adult. His features were still soft compared to other boys his age, his eyes still as clueless and endearing as the day Kohaku had met him for the first time.

However, there was something in his stance that showed that he had more confidence. Being friends with Akashi hadn’t just helped him with his classes or basketball skills but also with his confidence.

Akashi on the other hand, never seemed to return to his self that lived within him, without being in control that is. They had reached a mutual understanding after Akashi himself grew, Kohaku had noticed. He knew how it was after all. They helped each other, a symbiosis just as it had been with him and his other self. A sigh left Kohaku’s lips as he watched Furihata from the rims of his eyes.

“How do I look?”

“You look handsome, Kouki.”

A shy smile settled on Kouki’s face as he tugged at his gakuran again.

“You sure?”

“Yes, Kouki.”

“Uhm... Okay.”

A smile settled on his face as he turned in front of the mirror again, to regard himself from every angle

“Okay...”

It was amazing how he was excited about graduating. Kohaku could still remember the day Kouki’s friends graduated before him. All the third years that were gone just a year before. Kouki had cried, but Kohaku had expected it to happen. Kouki had cried and it had been interesting to watch how each of the boys in the basketball team were affected as the third years said their goodbyes. Kouki had become captain of the team from that day on, a successful one at that. Now it was his time to say his goodbyes. Who would cry this time? Would it be Kouki? Would it be the second years? Maybe all of them.

“Let’s go.”

Kohaku nodded.

“Oh, my little boy grew up so much.” it was Ayano who spoke.

She, too, had changed throughout the years. Had a haircut and a wide smile on her face that wasn’t tainted with the sadness of having lost her husband. Her hands smoothed down Kouki’s gakuran on the shoulders and at the front.

“Look at you, love.” she smiled a teary eyed smile. “You have become a young man.”

Furihata had a hint of red on his face as he nodded and then took his mother in a crushing embrace.

“Thank you for everything.”

“Now, now. No need to be dramatic, love. You’re graduating not saying goodbye forever.” she said calmly as her hand stroked the back of her son.

“I know.” a sob caught in Kouki’s throat. “Still.”

Kohaku just watched as the embrace tightened again.

“Everything’s alright.” then they broke away from each other and Ayano took Kouki’s face between her palms. “You are so much taller now. I can still remember the day where you couldn’t even close your jacket properly.” She laughed lightly. “When you still said mommy and wouldn’t let go of my hand.” A sad smile hushed over her features, nostalgia. “However, now we have to go if you don’t want to be late, love.”

“Yes.” Ayano collected the tears on her son’s face with a napkin.

“Come on now.”

Then their walk began. Mother and son, side by side. Kohaku behind them. Watching and waiting as ever. As always.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Furihata tugged his hair back again. He had let it grow out enough to bind it into a small ponytail. A lot of people had said that he looked handsome like this and it also was to Furihata’s liking since his hair didn’t get into his eyes. A smile tugged at the side of his lips as he looked around after having adjusted his hair. Most importantly Akashi seemed to like his hair like this, that was at least what he guessed after Akashi’s first ever compliment on his looks. A blush creeped up on him and he looked on the ground. Maybe he shouldn’t think of Akashi in that moment. He cleared his throat then he heard his name and proceeded to go onto the podium. It was time for his speech as the captain of Seirin’s basketball team.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

It was really endearing how each of the second years in the team were touched by his speech and if Furihata was honest, he himself had shed a tear or two. They had agreed on eating out together to which Furihata couldn’t give a direct answer since he had some plans for the day. Akashi had told him that they would eat dinner together and Furihata really didn’t know how Akashi had decided this to proceed. Sometimes he only gave the bare minimum of information and it really confused the hell out of Furihata. A sigh escaped him.

“Captain Furihata!” He turned around to his team. “It’s a real shame that you won’t be eating with us.”

Furihata laughed silently. “I said that I wasn’t sure, maybe we will.”

“Who is this friend of yours anyways. Snatching you away from us right after graduating.” Fukuda grinned and nudged Furihata’s side.

“Ah…” The blush didn’t creep up this time. It bloomed quickly, beginning from his ears down to his face and neck. “Uhm… well…”

The grin of his friends widened. They were about to say something else.

“Kouki.”

Furihata spun around to see Akashi at the school gate. He was still very much in his school attire just as Furihata.

Furihata heard a quiet ‘holy shit’ murmured beside him followed by ‘I can’t believe this’ and then he startled when he was clapped on the back. His head snapped to Fukuda who was grinning widely at him.

“Go, go.”

Like this he was shooed away. He heard the people in his team murmur, some of them laugh, some of them make sounds of disbelief but none of them really said something out loud. He might have heard just one congratulation though. Furihata gulped down the nervous bundle in his throat.

“I will wait for you at home.”

Furihata barely heard Sei say those words through the blood rushing through his ears. He nodded absentmindedly as he approached Akashi. When he was finally standing beside him, he shifted nervously on his feet, coughing and then averting his eyes. He actually hadn’t expected him this soon. This really wouldn’t help with what he had planned.

“Hey.”

“Afternoon.”

Furihata shifted on his feet again, he really had to say it.

“I-”

“I apologize for interrupting but could we talk inside the car?”

“Uh-uhm… Yes.” He shouldn’t be this nervous, yet there he was, nearly dying inside as he watched Akashi open the car door for him.

“I hope you don’t mind that I came early. I-”

Furihata looked at Akashi, this was one of the few times Akashi stocked mid speech. Was the other nervous? It was always hard to tell with him, he always had a calm exterior. It were just subtle moments that gave away how he really felt; apart from anger that is.

“Yes?” Furihata asked Akashi after he too was seated inside of the car, just to show Akashi that he still hadn’t ended his sentence.

Akashi looked to his side then on his hands before turning to Furihata.

“I made reservations in a restaurant. For dinner that is.”

Furihata’s eyes bulged. Restaurant?

“It is a fine place I always wanted to visit.”

Furihata still didn’t know how to answer exactly, so he just stared for a while before he finally found his tongue again.

“I- I... Shouldn’t I change for this?” He then finally said in one breath, sounding like he was suffocating.

“No. School uniforms are fine, and you look splendid in yours.” It was that charming smile that made Furihata’s stomach lurch. “I am in my school uniform, too, after all. I wanted this to feel like our last school day, as if we had been on the same school. Two friends enjoying a nice meal…”

Yes… Friends. Furihata turned his head away from Akashi, his hands cramping to fists, he was boring his nails inside his skin. Friends...

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Akashi was nervous to say the least. He was really really nervous. He remembered what Momoi had told him, he was still not sure if it was the right thing to do, though. But she had always been interested in Kuroko and thus had to know more about what people wished how someone should tell them their feelings…

_3 months ago_

_“Good evening, Satsuki.”  Akashi said when Momoi finally picked up her phone._

_“Hello! It’s been such a long time, Akashi!”_

_A smile overtook Akashi’s features. “Yes.”_

_“How has life been? We haven’t talked for a while.” It was somewhat adorable that he was able to hear how she too was smiling, maybe even clinging to the phone._

_“Oh, I’m fine actually, how about you?”_

_“All good. We should meet up with everyone again, then I can actually see how all of you are!” She laughed silently._

_“Yes. Today however I would rather not talk about that.”_

_“Oh?”_

_“Yes.” A long breath. “I have a question.”_

_There was silence on the other side of the phone for a long time. Until he heard Momoi breathe in deep and then out._

_“What is it?”_

_“I-” A pause, collecting thoughts, finding a way to ask. “What would be the best way to ask someone out?”_

_A gasp, then a squeal followed by excited speech. “Akashi! Cute! Who is the lucky girl?”_

_“Satsuki, it is not a girl I want to ask out.”_

_Then silence followed... stretched silence. Akashi was getting irritated after a few seconds. He had not expected this reaction. Was Momoi looking down on him now? His thoughts were turning bitter and as he was about to say something Momoi actually came to word before him._

_“That’s so great!” Excitement was evident in her voice. “Sorry for not reacting right away, it was just a shock… No, not a shock, it was rather unexpected.” her voice was soft. “But Akashi I’m not sure I can help you with this. I just have a few dream like scenarios I fleshed out since I wanted Tetsu to ask me out…”_

_Akashi could just imagine the sad look that must be sitting on Momoi’s face as she said this. The long wished confession never came to be after all._

_“But I can try to help. I always thought a confession under fireworks would be romantic, after a festival, you know, just as in those shoujo manga.”_

_He heard her giggle._

_“But there is no festival to come.” She paused shortly. “When do you even plan to confess?”_

_“After graduating. That day. We already wanted to meet for dinner.”_

_Another giggle. “That’s so sweet. You still haven’t told me who the lucky guy is, though.” from the sound of her voice she was grinning._

_“Furihata Kouki.”_

_“What?!” Akashi pulled the phone away from his ear. And just put it back when it seemed like she stopped shouting. “Seirin’s captain? How come I never realised you were such close friends…”_

_Akashi laughed silently behind his hand. “Well, we were actually only texting a lot, and calling each other around night since I have such little time on hand. We rarely met. Even if, it was at either of our homes. This time, too, I will let dinner be prepared at home and just drive Kouki to my place after our graduation ceremonies.”_

_“Such a shame.” She sighed but then gasped in excitement. “Why don’t you eat out for that day though? Make it something special!”_

_Akashi thought. Wouldn’t it be weird to just go out?_

_“I mean it would be quite romantic after all. Something you could remember forever.” A dreamy sigh followed._

_It did make sense in some way, special it would obviously be. They had been friends for two years and the only thing they did was hanging around each other’s home when meeting. A warm smile overtook his features. It had always been so calming though, just having Furihata beside him. He closed his eyes and drew a breath. Maybe eating out for once wouldn’t be a bad idea._

_“Okay.” He then said._

_“Oh, so nice!” He just heard the clapping of Momoi’s hands, did she have him on loudspeaker? He didn’t need to know. “Bring him to a nice restaurant! Somewhere really special.”_

_Akashi nodded to himself. “There is actually a place my father visited once with my mother. I was still small then but I can still distantly remember the name of the local. My mother had been excited as my father rarely took her out to eat. She had talked to me about it through my whole riding lessons.” His eyes cast to his knees as he smiled, pain was spreading through his chest, he breathed in deep. “Told me to take my special someone there since it’s such a fine place.” He laughed to himself and realised then that he had been talking for some time. “I apologize Satsuki, please go on with what you would suggest.”_

_“I… I don’t know what to say. I’m somehow happy that you shared this memory with me.” He could hear her sniffle silently. “You rarely ever talked about yourself in the past. It’s such a relief you finally began to open up.”_

_That was the moment Akashi realized that he was acting differently towards everyone ever since he started to be better friends with Furihata. He was softer, was more open about himself, didn’t hide his past behind nice words and polite smiles as he had always done._

_“Yes it is, Satsuki. It really is.”_

_There was some rustling on the other side before she clapped her hands. “So dinner at a classy restaurant it is! Have you thought of how you want to confess?”_

_“Not really. I am at a loss actually. I was never good with emotions like these. It took me enough time to figure out what exactly it was that I felt towards Kouki.”_

_“You are on first name base already!”_

_“Of course we are. We are friends, Satsuki.”_

_“Hm, well, yeah, that’s true… But tell me, how did he react when you called him by his first name the first time?”_

_Akashi laughed louder this time. “He was quite flustered. Endearing to watch I tell you. His ears flushed, face flushed. It was like I confessed to him. Now that we talk about it, he never stopped calling me Akashi though.”_

_Momoi laughed. “So you are the only one using first names?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“Ah, what I wouldn’t give to hear Tetsu say Satsuki.” A long sigh. “Well, back on topic. A restaurant. It’s such a shame your school uniform isn’t a gakuran.” Was that a pout? “However, there are so many beautiful ways to tell him. I think best would be after dinner, while taking a walk through the city, or a park.” She was giggling again. “Under the stars where you shyly confess your deep love for him.”_

_Akashi was picturing the scenario. Dinner, then a walk through the night, it would be cold and maybe Kouki would feel cold, too. The stars would twinkle in the dark sky. Everything turning into a fairy tale like scenario. He sighed. Then he realised Momoi was calling his name._

_“Akashi?”_

_“Hm? Yes?”_

_“Oh, there you’re. I thought the line went dead.”_

_“Ah, no. I was thinking about your idea, and it sounds wonderful.”_

That was the plan. He looked beside him at Furihata who was turned to the window staring outside. He seemed tense, was he nervous? He looked around and he saw his cramped fists, angry?

“Kouki?”

“Yes?” He turned to Akashi. So it wasn’t anger. He seemed disappointed. Akashi wasn’t sure why, though.

“How was your speech? I wish I could’ve seen.”

A sigh. “It was okay, I think? Everyone seemed to be moved. Which reminds me they wanted to eat with me, too.” Furihata laughed shortly. “But I was waiting for you so…” He then showed a closed eyed smile that made Akashi’s heart jump and ache. He was too sweet with his hair pulled back and eyes closed like that.

“I-” again he was in loss for words. So he just remained silent.

“How about your speech?”

“It was less moved. The captain I appointed seemed to be pumped up and ready to go.” Akashi said. “He still has to go a long way though, to reach the excellence that was I”

Furihata laughed behind his hand. “You know you are as bad with sarcasm as day one. Wouldn’t I know you so well by now, I would’ve thought, you meant what you said.” His laugh died down to a smile. “You should try laughing after joking, maybe people would notice then.”

Akashi smiled in return, the car halted soon after. “We arrived at the appointed address, sir.”

“Thank you, Akira.”

“I still can’t get over the fact that Akira is your personal butler.”

Akashi laughed to that and exited the car, wanting to open the door for Kouki but he seemed to exit on his own.

“Holy shit.” Furihata’s eyes were wide. “Sorry.” One of Furihata’s endearing personality traits. He never used crude words and if he did he apologized right after. “Wow.” Akashi watched him as he turned to Akashi with a rather troubled look on his face. “I’m sorry but I doubt I can even buy water in there.” His eyes flicked to the restaurant. “I’m actually sure the water could buy my whole belongings.”

“Do not worry, I will pay today.” Akashi said smiling. He took his first step towards the restaurant. “Shall w-”

“Akashi, no.” Furihata’s eyes were hard. “I can’t let you pay. I can’t even fathom how expensive the food in here must be. Please let’s go somewhere else.”

It was a moment of indecisiveness for Akashi. He had a plan and he sure wanted to execute it the way he planned it yet again Furihata didn’t look like he was joking and Akashi surely didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable or even irritated. He bit the inside of his bottom lip as he looked at the restaurant one last time but then nodded to Furihata’s words.

“Okay,” he then said, “where would you like to eat?”

“You said you wanted this day to be our last day as highschoolers. A celebration as friends. As if we had been going to the same school, right?”

“Yes.” Akashi straightened his back as he looked at Furihata. Over the years Akashi had actually grown a bit, contrary to Furihata who seemed to be stuck with the height he had then. Akashi wasn’t complaining though, like this it would be easier to kiss his forehead. His mind was wandering, he should probably stop thinking about that.

“Well, how about we visit a place I usually go with my team. It sure isn’t even half maybe quarter as amazing looking as this place. But it’s always been somewhere I liked visiting after school when I actually ate outside with friends. It’s called Maji Burgers.”

“Yeah, I have visited that place too.” Akashi said with a sigh. “I don’t always eat at places like this.” He gestured at the restaurant at the back as he showed an amused smile.

“I know, I know.” Furihata laughed, it turned into a warm smile in no time. “Then Maji Burger it is?”

“Yes.”

With this they seated themselves in the car. There his plan for a romantic dinner went, left behind at the restaurant Furihata refused to eat at.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Furihata was starting to feel guilty as he saw Akashi look out of the car’s window wishfully. Was Akashi disappointed? He began gnawing on his bottom lip before finally finding the courage to ask him.

“Had you been planning this for a long time? Akashi?”

“Hm?” His red eyes focused on Furihata. “Oh, no, not at all…”

That was a lie. Furihata could tell. He sighed and decided against informing Akashi that he had noticed his lie. The other after all seemed to try to hide this. It was him being considerate of Furihata’s feelings. Now Furihata felt even more like an asshole, he really considered telling him to turn around but if they were to go to that restaurant he knew he would feel indebted to Akashi for his remaining life.

The drive was silent and Furihata thanked the gods when they finally arrived at Maji Burgers and went inside. Akashi didn’t feel out of place at Maji Burgers but in the end this whole situation had turned somewhat awkward. They got their meals and sat down facing each other, however, the weirdly tense atmosphere stayed and Furihata sure didn’t know why it turned out to be this way. Well, he knew why he felt weird and fidgety but it was different when Akashi too seemed to be that way.

He looked up from his plate to muster Akashi, who was sitting rather stiffly on his chair. The normally suave air around him wasn’t there, it was replaced by something tense. What was going on in his mind? Furihata tried to read him but as always he didn’t give away anything on his face, he just stared on his plate. Hell, Furihata wished he could just get away for like two seconds to collect his thoughts. Right then the most brilliant -most stupid- idea crossed his mind.

“Restroom.” He said in between a breath and hurried away from the table. He breathed in deep as he was in the restroom and looked at his reflection. He had to calm down for what he had planned next. He nodded to himself and disappeared in one of the stalls.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Akashi was sitting at the table and waiting. He was trying to regain some of his cool. It had felt weird to go here of all places and it sure was not what he had planned. Sometimes things like this threw him off. He had dialed the restaurant too, so it was good that Furihata was in the restroom. He sighed. How hard could it be to eat and then tell Furihata that the adored him and just wanted to stay with him for the rest of his life? That he made Akashi happy and that he wished to be more than just friends.

He had rehearsed it at home, had asked Momoi if his wording didn’t sound too stiff, had rehearsed it again yet as he sat there and knew that after this meal they would go out and talk a bit and then he would confess. It made everything just too much. He groaned and took his face between his palms. It was the sound of a chair scraping against the floor that informed him of Furihata’s return. He looked up and noticed that Furihata was more nervous and tense than before.

“Do you want to ta-”

He wasn’t even able to finish his question when Furihata suddenly thrust his right fist forward, had his eyes clenched shut and in general just looked like a giant tomato.

“P-please take th-this.”

Akashi was dumbfounded as he looked on Furihata’s fist. He seemed to want him to take something. He slowly placed his hand below Furihata’s and just felt how something was dropped onto his open palm. He brought it close to his eyes and stared at… at a button? What was this? He blinked and then slowly the puzzle pieces shifted into place. He slowly looked towards Furihata’s gakuran… the second button was missing.

He swallowed. Did this really mean what he thought it meant? He stared for eternities. He didn’t even really register what Furihata was saying, the rushing blood in his ears was too loud. His eyes remained on the button and then turned to Furihata, then back to the button just to finally let his eyes rest on Furihata’s gakuran. His gaze slowly turned upwards and that was the moment he realised that Furihata was seemingly panicking and close to crying. Akashi tried to listen to him this time since he was still talking and as it seemed not stopping.

“..... it’s uhm… I just… sorry… I don’t want o-our friendship to b… I’m sorry… maybe…” he was reaching out to Akashi’s hand.

It was then that Akashi realised that he had literally not been listening or answering since Furihata gave him his button. He had pretty much left Furihata hanging with his confession. Akashi clutched the button in his fist and brought it close to his chest. He was sure he would not have the voice for words but he saw the surprised look on Furihata’s face and he didn’t look like he wanted to cry anymore. Which gave Akashi enough time to search for a way to answer, in an equally meaningful way.

He looked around when he finally decided to do the same. He wasn’t wearing a gakuran, but he could just pick the button closest to his heart. He fumbled a few minutes, fought with the threads that kept the button neatly on his jacket until he could finally rip it off and place it in front of Furihata. This was his answer, he knew that Furihata had understood with the way his whole face lit up, a beautiful smile bloomed on his face, and tears nearly found their way out. Akashi breathed in deep.

Furihata never ceased to amaze him. He was more than happy, really more than happy. His confession didn’t play out as Momoi and he had planned but in the end it was probably the most memorable way it could’ve happened.

The remaining day passed in silence. Even the walk they took later was just them walking silently alongside each other. With their hands brushing sometimes, and their shoulders too close to be just friends.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Kohaku watched and wondered what that weird clenching in his chest was when he learned that Kouki and Akashi were finally a couple. He had seen it coming a mile away. The burning in his chest though was neither sorrow nor longing. It was fear.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

“Mom.”

“Yes, love?”

Silence followed. Furihata’s heart was pounding up to his ears. _What if?_ he thought but then he saw Sei nodding behind his mother, as if he knew something Furihata didn’t know.

“Mom, I-”

Tears were building up, it couldn’t, shouldn’t be this hard to say it. He knew she would accept.

“Love,” She moved around the table and laid his arm around Furihata, pulling his head closer to her and kissing his head. “No matter what it is, mommy loves you, okay?”

“Yes,” his voice broke as he buried his face in her shoulder. “I know.”

They sat there like this, Furihata wasn’t crying but his hands wouldn’t stop shaking, his mind wouldn’t stop racing and the worst of it all the fear numbed him. After a while of collecting his strength he looked up into the brown eyes of his mother. She was so much older now that he was in college. He was nearly finished. It had taken him such a long time to finally do what he had decided to do a long time ago.

“Mom, I have a boyfriend.” His voice sounded too confident all of a sudden, but his heart was pounding one mile per second and he knew he would crumble if his mother wouldn’t react soon enough.

His eyes finally registered the look on his mother’s face. A warm smile that showed how old she really was. The rims of her eyes crinkled, she smiled and then pulled him into a tight embrace. “I was waiting for you to finally tell. Say Seijuurou please that he should visit again, soon.” she took Furihata’s face between her palms. “He shouldn’t think you have nobody and if he treats you wrong that an old lady will haunt him forever.”

That was the second Furihata burst out in tears, he buried his face in her shoulder again. Relief and happiness. Such wonderful emotions to have while crying.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Why wouldn’t the fear stop gnawing at the back of his mind? Kohaku gulped down the lump in his throat.

“Sei?”

“Yes, Kouki?”

“Do you want to go out today?”

Kohaku smiled at the suggestion and nodded. “Yes.”

They took walks from time to time. Mostly though after Furihata had a big exam and needed some time to get his mind elsewhere. Today too, his final exams had ended and he looked jumpy.

“Okay, let me grab my jacket.”

Then they went outside just walking through a park, beautifully lit as the evening hours darkened.

“How are you?”

“I am quite fine.”

“No, I mean, how are you? It’s been so many years yet neither I nor Akashi could help you. I don’t have that much time and tend to go out with Akashi instead of staying with you…”

“When will you stop calling him Akashi?” He didn’t want to talk about his ghostly state that evening.

“Huh?”

“You never stopped calling him Akashi, Kouki, why?”

Kouki looked dumbfounded as he stopped walking and looked then up to the sky.

“I don’t know.”

“Call him Seijuurou.”

“No. Somehow… somehow it sounds wrong.”

“How about Sei then?”

“No!”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re Sei…”

His eyes turned to the ground, seemed to be glued there.

“But I am not alive anymore, he is the only Seijuurou, Kouki. He is the only Sei.”

“I don’t care.” He looked up, his otherwise soft eyes had a different, more mature and hard gleam to them. “You are Sei, you will always be the only Sei for me. I will _not_ call him Sei.”

A sigh escaped Kohaku, Kouki seemed to be touchy about this subject.

“How about Rou? Ju? JuJu?” Kohaku laughed amused, his suggestions sounded ridiculous and if he was honest he had just thought of the most ridiculous things Masaaki would have come up with. Furihata’s serious expression morphed into an amused one until he started laughing loud, had a hard time breathing while laughing, too.

“JuJu just sounds ridiculous.”

“It does.” Of course it did.

When Furihata finally had his laugh under control, he spoke with a wide goofy grin on his face. “I think I like that. I will call Akashi, JuJu the next time we meet.” he snorted again.

“Do that, but only if I am able to see his reaction.” Kohaku replied showing an amused smile.

“You know, you and _JuJu_.” Kohaku huffed a laugh at the name. “Are nothing alike.”

That was the moment Kohaku stopped laughing because until now he had just seen the many similarities he and Akashi shared.

“Oh?”

“ _You_ are capable of joking.”

Then both of them burst out laughing again. It was maybe for the better that nobody seemed to be around at the park. Only for Kouki that is.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Furihata drew in a breath as he ordered the sentence in his mind again. He had to say it, and that as casual as possible.

“Hey, _JuJu_ , how are you?”

There was just a short pause before Akashi turned around swiftly and smiled at Furihata. “Oh, Kouki, you have arrived. I’ve been waiting.”

Furihata was put aback by Akashi’s rather smooth reaction. He drew up an eyebrow and exchanged looks with Sei, but saw that the other only drew up his shoulders and shook his head, signaling him that he didn’t know what was going on.

“You seem puzzled.” Akashi had an amused smile on his face as he approached Furihata and then pulled him into a tight embrace. “I should tell you…” He pulled away to look at Furihata. “Weird nicknames never phased me. Sei hasn’t seem to have noticed that yet.” His smile dropped, the amused look stayed though.

“Ah, come on…” Furihata mumbled but had a wide grin on his face, “I pictured your reaction the whole week. This is somewhat disappointing.” he puffed his cheeks in played annoyance. It sure was disappointing though. He may have to think of a different way to make Akashi flustered. “I thought that you might be happy about me not calling you Akashi anymore.” A warm smile settled on his lips as he looked in Akashi’s eyes, who finally seemed to have realised what had happened a few seconds ago.

His amused look morphed into a delighted one. Then something happened that Furihata couldn’t have foreseen. Akashi grabbed both sides of his face and pulled him towards himself. Furihata found himself in a tight kiss. Lips still closed yet so warm. He closed his eyes and savored the moment. He liked these kisses the most, the ones that didn’t feel sexual but were just a show of closeness that made his heart flutter. Akashi pulled away just to turn the kiss into a firm embrace. His head resting on Furihata’s shoulder, his arms at his back. They were so close, Furihata’s heart was beating fast, so fast and hard indeed that he feared it might jump out of his chest.

“You know, Kouki, I waited so long for you to call me by my first name, but when it happened I didn’t even realise until you told me…” He nuzzled his neck, making Furihata shiver in his embrace “Maybe that was because I didn’t expect a nickname coming from you.” Furihata was still very much in Akashi’s mercy in the embrace even though his arms, too, were around Akashi, yet they were much more lose.  Akashi tended to show his intimacy and love like this, less with words but more with small touches, not sexual ones -never really unless they wanted it to be. Even as Akashi kissed his neck and Furihata felt his breath ghost near his ear, it just felt like a close show of love and affection. He closed his eyes as he heard Akashi talk on, his own arms tightening around the other as he heard the words that followed. “I’m so lucky to have met you, I love you so much, Kouki.”

Then another kiss followed, their lips sealed onto one another, before both of them smiled into the kiss. Their eyes telling the whole story of what they felt deep inside.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

“I am quite glad I do not follow you around often.”

“Oh, please, Sei, could you drop it?” Furihata was fuming red as he stomped on the ground. “I’m sorry okay? I did in fact not expect him to kiss me! PDA isn’t exactly what I’m into, you know…”

Sei just laughed. It was amusing how desperately distressed Furihata always sounded when he teased him and this whole story about JuJu would be amazing for later use.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a change regarding the school uniform of Seirin, at least I had to!  
> I somehow thought they had a Gakuran, which means that I wrote a scene with that information.   
> Later though I looked it up because there was a gnawing feeling at the back of my mind  
> and comes out! They have a zipper jacket... Now the problem was that I already wrote the scene and  
> I was honestly too lazy to find a new scene to write and also the scene I already had was so lovely and I really honestly liked it  
> so yeah! I didn't change it, let us just forget (at least for this fic) that their school uniform had a zipper!!!


	5. Two Stories Bound to One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay!  
>  But life never asks when it wants to give you lemons so yah sorry for that  
>  Also this chapter should have less awkward sentences, my friend [watermelloon](http://archiveofourown.org/users/word_end/pseuds/watermelloon) helped me a lot!!!  
>  Have fun while reading!!

It was a cold autumn day when Akashi asked him to come along to America. It was weird of course, he knew it was some business related trip, so it was actually double weird that Akashi wanted to take him along. In all those years they had been a couple -five to be exact- this had never happened. He was somewhat nervous to say the least as he packed his belongings.

“You seem nervous.” He looked up to his mother, showed a weak smile.

“Yes, a little.” 

“Don’t be, JuJu...” She smiled at the nickname. She had picked it up right after Furihata had started to use it every time Akashi came over or he talked about him with her. What they did. Where they went. When they fought. “Has probably planned something grand.”

“I know.” Furihata straightened up and then sat on the bed, wiped over his face with his palms, heaved a sigh, then his eyes glued on his feet. “That’s actually what I’m worried about, I know his father will be with us…”

The smile on his mother’s face dropped and morphed into a rather worried look. “He still doesn’t know, does he?”

“No.” Furihata looked up when he felt how his mother sat beside him and pulled him towards herself, with her arm lying around him, he then rested his head on her shoulder. “JuJu said, that he-” Furihata paused and closed his eyes. “He wouldn’t agree…”

A thoughtful hum was what followed. “Maybe, JuJu gives his father too little credit.” She pulled away and looked Furihata in the eyes showing a supporting smile.

“Well… not really, mom. Sadly I’m quite sure he’s right.” A sad smile played on his lips. He, after all, heard about their conversations from Akashi. How his father had big plans even for Akashi’s future. How he wanted him to have a child, and seemed to be more conservative with his views. It was sad, really, they always had to act so distant at Akashi’s home, hadn’t had the chance to even consider to move in together. With Akashi being rather wealthy it never even was an option to give college fees as an excuse.

His mother pulled him towards herself again, petting his head and kissing his temple with affection.

“I will always support you two, love. Tell Seijuurou that I will always consider him my son.” She smiled. “My son-in-law that is.” She grinned and Furihata began laughing.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Furihata’s heart was pounding in his ears as he waited in his hotel room. He needed to know what happened with Akashi’s father, he needed to know what he was told. This whole day had been insane and Furihata sure didn’t ever want to repeat this. His thoughts returned to the events that unfolded just a few hours ago.

_ It was a packed open conference with many reporters and what not at the gathering. Honestly, it helped that Akashi gave Furihata one of his suits to fit into the mold more, however, it didn’t mean that Furihata felt even the least comfortable. His eyes traveled through the many faces around him, before he turned back to look at the podium. Akashi had told him that the company had become a big deal lately and wanted to branch out to countries overseas. It was a given that this was a conference filled with lies and promises nobody should take too seriously. The main point was money and how to draw in the support of as many people as possible.  _

_ Akashi had pointed out that he had suggested his father to lay his expectations in the younger generation since that would mean more of a long time investment than just to appeal the older generation. The speech of Akashi’s father soon began. It was in English thus he had a heavy accent, however, he was fluent just as Furihata had expected from an Akashi. Akashi after all was fluent in various languages as well, since it was part of their private studies.  _

_ The speech was about acceptance and that he hoped to produce this and that, which reminded Furihata again that he really had no idea what exactly this company was about, but he honestly didn’t care. There was a huge emphasis on how the company was for equal rights and that they hoped for the support of everyone from now on too. What Furihata did not expect though was the speech that followed next. His eyes widened when Akashi began to talk. _

“As you might have noticed, my father is a very accepting man. We have already donated to various organizations and plan to do this in the future as well. The organisation for cancer research, so that people -especially children- have a future they can look forward to. To support refugees since no human should be belittled for neither their race nor their religious believes. To organisations that help people in different countries that suffer under poverty and hunger, and lastly, we will support the LGBTQ+ community also in the future. No person should be belittled no matter what.”  _ He paused and took a deep breath.  _ “Of course my father, too, did not learn this from day one. It was a path that was hard to take at first but he was keen to learn and also accept his own son.”

_ That was the second everything fell dead silent. Furihata could see clearly that especially this part was not according to script. The prior pleased look on Akashi’s father's face morphed subtly into something else. Furihata was probably the only one who caught up on it, but who could blame him, he was dating with an Akashi for years now. _

“Furihata Kouki.”

_ Furihata’s eyes widened and he stilled on his seat. Even his thoughts seemed to escape him. He could just react when he heard the amused ‘go’ beside him, Sei. His steps were wobbly as he walked up to the podium. All eyes were on him. The blood rushing through his ears dimmed even his nerves and he couldn’t feel anything beside that numb feeling that spread through his limbs from all the anxiety that was building up. For what did Akashi even want him up there? _

“As I said.”  _ Akashi continued unfazed by Furihata’s rather wobbly and nervous state when he finally stood beside him.  _ “My father did all in his might to accept me for the person that I am, with all of what I am. Not only me being an Akashi but also for the person who I was deep inside.”  _ Furihata looked at Akashi in confusion and really hoped it didn’t show on his face. He could see a played quiver of lips. Akashi was so good in deceiving people at times.  _ “He accepted me being different and the fear of rejection flew away from my chest on the day I finally told my father that my partner is a man.”

_ Furihata startled when he felt how Akashi placed his hand at the small of Furihata’s back. He had told his father? Furihata’s eyes widened and he looked back at Akashi’s father. But when he saw his forced smile he knew that that was not the case, not at all. They were screwed.  _

_ There was an uproar between the reporters and other people that had joined the conference. Many clapped. Others took pictures. It was insane. Akashi though had a wide smile on his face as he, too, clapped and motioned his father to step forward. They hugged, Furihata watching from where he stood in the back. Their embrace looked genuine to others maybe, but oh, Furihata saw it all too well. The tense gesture and just saw fleetingly how Akashi’s father was whispering something into Akashi’s ear. His head was turned away from the reporters and cameras. Akashi though was unfazed, his smile stayed and he looked around all happy as if everything that happened was fantastic. Furihata swallowed down the lump in his throat. What the hell was happening? _

_ The following events were exchanging pleasantries as Furihata was dragged along with Akashi. Honestly, he was just happy that Akashi did all the talking even when the questions were directed towards him. He was still in a shock and was very much scared of what would follow. Akashi’s father knew of them now… Akashi had literally told in a press conference, in front of so many people, that he had a lover and that his lover was a man. They had taken pictures. This would be on the news. Here. In Japan. It just slowly sunk in. Furihata eyed Akashi from the corners of his eyes but soon his gaze returned to the water bottle in his hands. He feared having a total standstill of mind without something in his hands anchoring him. He had to stay in the reality that was today. A shuddering breath escaped him. _

_ When the conference was over and they returned to the hotel. Akashi’s father had ordered Akashi to his room, Furihata had to wait in his own room. _

Furihata was fidgety as he sat on the bed and shot up when Akashi came into the room, the smile on his lips was triumphant. Which confused Furihata all the more.

“What happened today? Are you insane?” He could barely keep his voice leveled as he talked. He hadn’t spoken to Akashi at all until now. He hadn’t been able to. While waiting for Akashi his thoughts had the time to finally catch up with everything that had happened.

“Probably,” Akashi responded nonchalantly.

“Don’t act like this now. I can’t believe what happened - I’m still trembling.” As if to demonstrate what he meant he held up his hand. “What was this about? You told your father in a press conference? That’s a bit dramatic even for you, Seijuurou!” He could barely keep it together, his anxiety catching up to him sooner than he liked. He was scared to say the least. This could ruin everything they had built up for each other until now.

“I had to.” Akashi said with an exhausted sigh as he sat down on the bed.

“Why?” Furihata tried to calm his nerves, Akashi looked somewhat sad and tired, he sat down beside the other and waited for him to talk. He would listen if Akashi was ready to tell.

“Kouki.” The face Akashi showed him was serious. “I told you before that my father would not accept this between us. Never in his life.” His eyes turned to his knees. “It took me a year to finally convince him to hold this press conference, to invest into the future. As in, into the youth whose demand for equality grows by day. That he would gain support from there, showed him statistics and the discourse as it looked right now. That conservative views wouldn’t get us anywhere. He finally agreed upon this when we decided to go beyond Japan. The partners we had already don’t care what we support or don’t support as long as we deliver. Our priority were people that would buy our products. A tactical move so to say.” He sighed. “I wrote our speeches since he was convinced that this was my project. He was pleased to say the least.” He finally looked up to Furihata. “I didn’t tell him about the last part though.” He said with a smile.

“I noticed that much.” Furihata said inching closer to Akashi and placing his head on his shoulder. He was feeling more relaxed now that Akashi was telling him. He knew that at the end of their talk he would catch up to what Akashi was thinking throughout this whole thing. “Why did you do this?”

“You see, our company would have ended up on the news anyways and a scandal like this is amazing. It’s great publicity. On one side hate will ensue and on the other side support. Big reveals like this, reveals that still seem controverse, are always great publicity.” he placed his head on Furihata’s.

“But that’s not the real reason you did this, right?” Furihata tried to look at Akashi’s face without taking his head away from his shoulder.

“No.” Akashi let out a long breath. “It wasn’t. This was the best opportunity to come out for us two. My father was forced to accept. Now he can do nothing to us without being on the spotlight. If he disowns me he will be seen as a homophobe and his sales will drop. If something happens to one of us and someone were to drop a hint -and believe me there are enough people that work with me and friends of mine that would do me this favour- he would be ruined as well.” Akashi lifted his head and looked at Furihata. “It was the best I could do.”

“This is amazing.” He lifted his head from Akashi’s shoulder and caught his gaze with his own. “But why didn’t you tell me?”

“You see, like this you couldn’t become anxious over the fact if this will work out or not. It should have caused far less stress than the other way round.”

“You idiot.” Furihata huffed a laugh but soon tears of joy and relief trailed down his face. His arms wound up around Akashi’s neck and he buried his face in his shoulder. This may be the most horrible yet best day in his life. This whole day had been a ride Furihata hoped he wouldn’t have to take ever again. However, for that moment he just let his tears role down and let Akashi collect him in his arms. They slept in the same bed that night, in that fancy hotel Akashi had booked, with his father being in the same building.

For many this might have been something small, for these two however, it meant the world. It opened doors for their relationship that had been tightly sealed before.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Kohaku was standing around in the living room and waiting for Kouki, he had to ask him something before he took one of his usual walks. The other was taking a shower and said he’d return soon. However, Kohaku was getting more impatient by the second, and Kouki was taking his sweet time in the bathroom. A sigh escaped his lips as he walked over to the door and listened, it was silent on the other side, so he waited for a few more minutes before just going through the door. Literally. Kouki didn’t have anything he didn’t. Yet what he saw took him aback for a second. 

Kouki was standing in front of the mirror, a towel wrapped around his lower body, and was making faces to himself. Kohaku drew up an eyebrow and, well, waited. The wait wasn’t long, though, Kouki turned around slowly, as if he was scared of seeing what was behind him, and let out a loud shriek when seeing Kohaku. It was hilarious to say the least. Kouki clutched the towel with one hand and tried to cover his upper body with his other. Thus Kohaku laughed at the display in front of him until, well, the door swung open and Akashi came inside. Kouki was still breathing heavy and fast when Akashi’s question followed.

“Kouki, did something happen?” There was worry in Akashi’s face. Kohaku though had to bite his bottom lip to not laugh more.

“No!” Kouki’s voice a tad too loud.

“Is everything alright?”

“Again, no!” His eyes found their way to Kohaku and looked angry at his amused expression. “Sei, could you  _ not  _ just come into the bathroom when I’m inside?”

“Wait, what? Sei is here?” It was amusing how Akashi looked around as if he would start seeing Kohaku magically now of all times.

Kouki, though, seemed to be unfazed by Akashi’s question and ignored him completely as he turned to Kohaku and pointed at him angrily. “I told you to wait.” he said firmly.

“I could not have fathomed you to… make faces into a mirror after your shower. My apologies.” He couldn’t do anything but grin when he saw how Furihata turned all shades of red in front of him.

“I-” He stomped one foot on the ground and lost his footing thanks to the water that had pooled on the ground. Another shriek followed but he was luckily caught by Akashi. Kohaku really was having the time of his life, so he burst out laughing again. He couldn’t hold it back anymore. “Stop laughing!” Kouki shouted yet even his shout sounded amused and then... he joined in…

Akashi was standing and holding onto Kouki’s arm still very confused but this only fueled Kouki’s and Kohaku’s laughter.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

“ _ Don’t  _ come into the bathroom this time okay?” 

Since that rather comedic day, Kouki said this each time he went into the bathroom, Kohaku’s answer each time was a grin and a nod of his head. He sat down on the couch beside Akashi, who looked rather thoughtful after Kouki disappeared into the bathroom. His eyes were directed to the door before he sighed.

“Sei?”

Kohaku startled when he heard his name out of Akashi’s mouth. His eyes weren’t directed towards him though. With one eyebrow drawn up Kohaku watched Akashi.

“I really hope you are here. Because talking into an empty room feels insane already and if you are not here then everything I say will be for nought and I will have to do this again…”

Another sigh followed as Akashi adjusted in his seat, he straightened up and took a deep breath. Kohaku though was waiting. His interest was piqued and it seemed to be important to Akashi, what would follow that is. The shower was running in the background.

“I have a question, a simple one-” Akashi paused, which in fact was weird, since he rarely ever needed time to collect himself. “Actually, not a simple one. Especially not for you…”

His eyes followed Akashi’s every move as the man stood up and began to pace up and down the room. There was a nervous mumble from him as he looked around. It really was a shame that they couldn’t talk face to face, especially about a topic that seemed to be more than important for Akashi. He stopped abruptly.

“I plan to propose to Kouki.” His voice dropped a few octaves even though both of them could hear the shower running. Kohaku’s eyes widened in surprise but they softened soon. What a beautiful plan… 

“I, however-” There was a pause again. “You see, I wanted to- I am asking you if I can use the ring you gifted me. The one Masaaki Hotaka gave you all those years back-” There was a sound coming from the bathroom, Kohaku looked at the bathroom door, he took a deep breath when the sound of water continued. Akashi would have enough time to finish his request, which made Kohaku’s heart beat faster already. There was a tiny sigh that left Akashi’s lips as the other straightened up to his full height. 

“Can you stand in front of me? I wish you to look into my eyes while I utter my request.” 

_ You won’t be able to see me _ , Kohaku wanted to whisper yet his steps lead him right in front of Akashi. He was taller than Akashi, that Kohaku had noticed a few years back. He looked into Akashi’s red eyes, asked himself if he could have seen himself if he was able to see his reflection in the other’s eyes. If he was able to see his reflection at all. Kohaku held his breath when Akashi took a deep breath and began talking.

“Kohaku Seijuurou. Hereby I request your permission to use the ring that was gifted to you by Masaaki Hotaka. It is a ring with a devastating yet beautiful history. It is filled with the hopes of two people whose happiness was stolen from them and I wish to give this ring.” Akashi pulled out the ring from his pocket and held it in front of him, as if to show Kohaku. “A new meaning. Use it as a means of happiness instead of allowing it to fall into an abyss of despair. I wish for this ring to be the key to a new beginning instead of the seal for a story’s end.”

Kohaku’s eyes widened. He looked at the ring then back at Akashi; his eyes were filled with determination as he held the ring between his pointer finger and thumb. He put the ring back into his pocket as the sounds in the bathroom halted. Kouki would come out soon. Kohaku’s mind though was racing one mile per second.

“Please tell Kouki, yes or no. It must not be now. It can be tonight. A day later. However, I would like to know it by tomorrow night, just so that I know if you have heard my request or not.”

He nodded absentmindedly. This request, it sounded like it was too much, as if Akashi was asking too much of him. It was the ring that Masaaki gave him for god’s sake. Yet again he never had the chance to wear it, to cherish it how it was supposed to be cherished. Hadn’t had the time to use it as a means for their eternal love. He swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat as he sat down on the couch. Maybe he should take a walk? 

And he did just that. He left Akashi’s apartment to collect his mind.

His steps lead him through the city, his teeth worrying his lower lip as his mind raced. This was... was this even alright? How had Akashi even dared to ask him such a question? It was a ring,  _ his ring _ , gifted by Masaaki. It was his everything, he would give everything to be able to touch it again. He swallowed down the tears that threatened to come out. Aimlessly walking through the streets, that’s at least what he thought he did. However, he found himself in front of Masaaki’s grave. He hadn’t visited it in a while. In a long while. Years.

The grave looked unkempt, as if it was not supposed to be there, overgrown by wildlife, and all of it was Kohaku’s fault. He knelt down in front of the grave, carefully as if he had a physical body. He wished he could offer Masaaki something for his soul, so that it’d be soothed in the afterlife at least. He drew a deep breath and let it out shakily. His eyes fell shut. Was it selfish of him to want to live again? Was it selfish of him to wish for the happiness Akashi and Kouki had? Was it selfish to wish to take their place?

He wanted to say no, say that it was his right to take their place, say that Masaaki had suffered too much and that he would have wanted someone else to suffer instead of him. His mind though betrayed him. A sob escaped his throat as he held onto his knees. 

It would be selfish. He thought of Kouki’s smiles, thought of Akashi’s determination, thought of how even they fought to get where they were now. Of Akashi’s brilliant plan, of Kouki’s supportive character, of their want to help Kohaku as they joined hands in this quest.

He couldn’t even go as far as being selfish, not even for Masaaki, not anymore. Even though he found a world that would be as accepting as this, a world where neither of them would’ve have to die, he couldn’t do it. A cry in despair was what followed. His eyes fell back on Masaaki’s grave, he tried to remember his warm fingers on his face, tried to remember his lips on his own, tried to remember his smiles, tried to remember him as a person. He cried that night. Kohaku cried and wished and prayed. At the end of the day though, he knew his answer. It was clear what Masaaki would have wanted. It was clear what he himself needed to do.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

“Sei, how do I look?” Furihata turned around in front of the mirror, regarded himself from each angle he could.

“Handsome, Kouki.”

“Ah, come on! A bit more input please? JuJu is taking me out today. I mean, it’s been ages since we last ate out!” His eyes were still glued to the mirror as he fumbled with his necktie. Was a wine coloured tie even good with a dark blue suit? He straightened the front and looked at himself again. He was somehow nervous all of a sudden. Gnawing at his bottom lip he shifted the suit’s jacket on his shoulders.

There was a sigh from where Sei sat. “Believe me, Kouki. JuJu will ravish you tonight…” Furihata looked back at Sei with a hint of red on his cheeks and mustered his amused grin with a stern glare. “ _ That is  _ how handsome you are in that suit.”

“Why can’t you stay serious for even a second?” He huffed as he turned back to the mirror.

“May I say that one of the reasons for my behaviour is that I do not live anymore? I am free to say what comes to my mind.”

“Fair enough.” His hair looked weird didn’t it? He pulled it back to a ponytail but then let it fall down again. Maybe he should get a haircut? There was enough time… “You think I should get a haircut?”

He turned around to face Sei. “I do not see the point as to why you should do that.”

“I don’t know? Just, maybe shorter would look better? More modern?” He turned back to his reflection and pulled his hair back once more. “Or I could get my hair done at least. Something different?” Letting go of his hair he turned back to Sei. “I mean these past years I just had my ponytail or let my hair down…”

A thoughtful hum was what followed from Sei before he stood up and approached Furihata. He walked around him and was still humming as he finally came to a standstill in front of him. “You could certainly do that.” He then said and sat down on Furihata’s bed again. Sei really wasn’t helping at the moment. Not even his nerves could be soothed the littlest bit. Furihata gnawed at his bottom lip as he turned back to the mirror.

“You know what? I will just gel it back.” He said and went straight into the bathroom and began to ‘style’ his hair. He slicked it back and combed through his hair with his fingers and gave it a bit of a disheveled look, he dried it with a blow dryer always carefully blowing from the front to the back and then smiled content with his handiwork. The gel luckily didn’t have that weird wet look other gels tended to have. He pulled at his jacket, straightened the suit again and came out of the bathroom. “What do you think?”

“For the hundredth time today, Kouki.  _ You look fine _ . The suit looks splendid and your hair is amazing.”

“Now I’m not so sure about that anymore…” Furihata’s gaze returned to the mirror.

“Kouki, dear?”

“Mom? You’re home?” He turned to the door of his room.

“Yes, are you doing alright? You were talking to yourself.” Silent steps were to hear before his mother carefully pushed the door open. “Oh my!” She exclaimed putting her hand over her mouth, she had a wide smile on her face. “Look at how handsome you are, love...” A shy smile played on Furihata’s lips and he felt a blush creep up. “You didn’t tell me you would be home today.” She smiled. “If I had known I would have come back home sooner.”

“You see, mom… It was more of a whimsical decision.” He laughed nervously. “I haven’t been home much lately, right?”

Ayano nodded in response. “That’s true, it’s as if you moved to JuJu’s place already.” She sniffled and pretended like she was wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye. “I barely get to see my little baby son!”

“Mom!”

They both laughed for a while; Furihata realised that he had missed this. He should really return home more often.

“Now, what’s the special occasion?”

“JuJu’s taking me out for dinner.” He showed a shy smile. “He told me to dress nicely. So here I am, standing in front of my mirror… Trying to find a way to look passable, because  _ if JuJu  _ says I have to dress nice it means we are going to go somewhere I normally wouldn’t even be able to set-” A rather graceless squeak left his mouth when his mother pinched his right cheek. His hand was massaging his face as he looked at his mother with a rather scandalized gaze.

“Stop talking non-sense.” Ayano said with a stern voice. “Money doesn’t mean they’re more of a human than you’re. And you look amazing! Have you seen yourself?” She pulled him to her side and positioned them both in front of the mirror. “You have the looks of your beautiful mom, of course you look amazing.” She then added with a grin and kissed him on his cheek. He cracked a smile, the first one that was genuinely happy that day, without even one trace of nervousness. “See, so much better. You greet JuJu with that smile today and everything will go smoothly.” She winked at him. That was the moment Furihata began to laugh.

“Yes, ma’am.” He added playfully as she clapped his shoulder in the same playful manner.

“Now out with you, I think I heard a car pull up.”

She did what? How did she even hear a car from their flat?

“Don’t look so confused, smile dear.” She said and then held his head from both sides and pulled him down to kiss his forehead. “JuJu brought me here.” She added laughing and began to push him towards the door. “Don’t come back before you have amazing news for me, you hear me?”

With that she closed the door. Didn’t this mean Akashi must have told her of the place he would take him? And amazing news? Furihata looked confused at the door; he hesitated shortly before he began walking down the stairs.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

There was a comfortable silence as they stepped out of the restaurant. Furihata smiled to himself as he put his hands into the pockets of his coat. Akashi had told him that this had been the restaurant his mother had visited once with his father. That she had been amazed and told him about it each day for a whole week. It was sad indeed that he couldn’t ever meet such a nice person. He bit the corner of his bottom lip. Yet he somehow knew that she would’ve welcomed him with open arms. The feeling was just there every time he had been to Akashi’s mansion before Akashi moved out to an apartment so that they didn’t have to face Akashi’s father. His gaze traveled to the other, he was walking just a few steps ahead, his shoulders relaxed and the way he carried himself as confident as ever. Furihata smiled again, how had he managed to get such an amazing person as a boyfriend. He quickened his steps just slightly to catch up to Akashi. 

“Where are we headed to?” 

“It’s a surprise.” Akashi said turning to Furihata with a smile and then winked.

To that Furihata only huffed a laugh. Akashi could really be ridiculous at times. “Won’t I get even one clue?” He showed his pointer finger to emphasize his words.

“Nope.” Akashi popped the p and only strode on until they reached the car and he opened the door for Furihata to enter. “Please enter, my love.”

To that Furihata actually laughed- Akashi didn’t use sappy nicknames, he could be a romantic without equal but he really rarely if ever used nicknames. “Thanks, honey,” he answered, the word feeling weird in his mouth. He seated himself inside the car.

“Oh my,” Akashi exclaimed playfully. “My darling just called me honey.”

Furihata began to laugh to that, he heard the door close and the door next to him open. “Please, JuJu, just stop it.” his laugh died down to a grin.

“Why is that, pumpkin?”

“Because it’s getting ridiculous.” he pushed Akashi’s shoulder playfully.

“But, babe, you are hurting my genuine feelings.” Akashi pouted childishly. “I’m expressing my love here.”

“JuJu!” Furihata giggled like a child. “Did you get tipsy from the wine?”

To that Akashi only hummed and leaned over towards Furihata placing a chaste kiss on his lips. “I think I’m drunk with love, Kouki.” he murmured against Furihata’s lips.

Furihata gulped and opened his eyes, he hadn’t even realised closing them. A smile was pulling at his lips. He leaned to Akashi’s lips, catching them in another kiss. “Agreed,” he then whispered lowly. He could see the way Akashi’s adam’s apple bobbed before he straightened up and turned to his driver. 

“A…” He coughed and swallowed. “Akira. You know our destination.”

“Yes sir.” like that the drive began. 

Furihata sighed contently. He knew Akashi wasn’t tipsy, especially not if Furihata wasn’t even feeling the slightest bit hazy. Akashi could hold his liquor way better than him. He gazed at Akashi from the corners of his eyes, the other looked outside the window. Something he did often. Furihata reached over and entwined their fingers. He closed his eyes and waited for Akashi to take him wherever they planned to go next. Whatever it was that Akashi had in mind.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The car pulled over in a secluded street and Furihata wondered the thousands time that day what it was that Akashi had planned. His eyes scanned the area to have at least an idea of where they were. However it didn’t look familiar, especially not in the night hours.

“Come on out, Kouki.” Furihata’s head snapped to his left, Akashi had opened his door while he was in thoughts. The look in Akashi’s eyes in days like these came dangerously close to killing Furihata. The devotion and love in those eyes nearly made his breath stop yet seemed to be the only thing that gave his life essence. Sometimes Furihata wondered how dangerous it was to have fallen for Akashi this hard.

“Thank you.” he said with a hoarse voice and climbed out of the car. The door slammed shut and he felt Akashi’s hand in his own very soon. A smile showed on his face. 

Akashi didn’t talk as he began to walk in a comfortable pace. Their silence turned the empty space between them warm whilst winter tried its hardest to get the cold between them. Furihata eyed Akashi, he had a thoughtful look on his face. He was about to ask what the matter was when they rounded another corner and he saw the gymnasium for the Winter Cup. His eyes widened in surprise.

“This is your surprise?”

“Part of it.” Was Akashi's reply as he squeezed Furihata’s hand.

Furihata looked in awe towards the building. “The last time we’ve been here there was no snow. This looks amazing.” He breathed out and noticed soon that he was quickening his steps, he cleared his throat and laughed nervously as he slowed down again. 

“Yes.” Furihata rather heard the smile than saw it since his gaze was still very much directed to his front. The building was standing tall, if not for the snow it might’ve looked intimidating just as the day of the Winter Cup. Furihata had to smile at the memory. The last day of Winter Cup had been the day Akashi and Furihata really started to get to know each other. Until this day Furihata couldn’t be more grateful for Sei’s existence. If not for him neither Akashi nor he would’ve really talked to one another.

Akashi wordlessly lead Furihata through the snow until they were standing right in front of the building. The entrance was at their back. Akashi halted, soon after. Furihata noticed how tense he seemed to be. His shoulders were drawn up and he took a deep breath before turning to Furihata. 

“Kouki?” Somehow this moment was magical as the streetlights lit up their surrounding, their shine was reflected on the snow. Akashi standing there right in front of him, his gaze soft but serious. His hand was in his suit jacket.

“Yes?” Furihata breathed out his eyes never leaving the gaze of Akashi. 

Suddenly Akashi gripped for Furihata’s hands, held them softly in his own, he gazed deep into Furihata’s eyes. He swallowed. Furihata was still only watching. His lips pulled up in a smile - maybe he wanted to reassure Akashi who all of a sudden seemed to be nervous. He cleared his throat once more before he fell onto one knee and Furihata had to take a step back to be able to look Akashi in the eyes. Furihata first looked confused but then his eyes widened, was this what his mother meant when telling him just to come home when he had great news? 

He saw Akashi look to his side once, before returning his gaze to Furihata. As nervous as Akashi seemed it slowly began to overtake Furihata too, he knew his answer before Akashi began to talk, however, he would let him talk and ask. He seemed to have prepared this for weeks. The way everything went so smoothly.

“Kouki.” Akashi paused seemed to collect his words. “This may seem a bit sudden and it might really be. However, I thought about this for a long time, for years. I knew I wanted to share my life with you, the day you asked me out. I knew that you were the love of my life, the first day you talked back. I knew you were special, the day you told me about Sei.” One of Akashi’s hands let go to grip into his jacket. “I thought this through, I talked to my father, I talked with your mother, and I talked to Sei. I know it’s a huge step for us both, but I also know that whatever comes ahead of us I would never want to master it without you at my side.” 

Akashi inhaled deep. “This very day, on this date, six years ago I lost the winter cup and you asked to visit me. It is a special date that changed my life forever. I realised my mistakes as a person and I met you, had the opportunity to get to know a wonderful person like you. And for that I’m endlessly grateful. You changed my life for the better.” There was a pause as he took his hand out of his pocket. In his palm was a small blue box which he opened skillfully. Furihata’s eyes widened, inside the box was Sei’s ring. “Will you be the light in my darkest days from now on, just as you have been for the past years? Will you say yes to put a promise in form of this ring around your finger?”

Furihata felt overwhelmed, he knew this was going to be what expected him the second Akashi fell on his knee, yet as he stared down with wide eyes. Saw the way the ring reflected the streetlights, it all seemed too much. He bit his bottom lip and nodded frantically. His smile so wide that it felt like his face would split. He couldn’t voice his thoughts, couldn’t say yes. However, Akashi as it seemed didn’t need him to voice it, his nod was enough for Akashi to take the ring out of the box, put the box back into his pocket and then carefully place the ring on Furihata’s finger. It slid on perfectly. It fit like it was made to fit. He stared at his hand and then up to Akashi who was finally standing. Words still didn’t seem to leave him so he threw himself around Akashi’s neck and buried his face in his shoulder. This was maybe the happiest day of his life.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The car halted in front of the apartment complex to his flat. Akashi was still smiling widely. It was hard to break away from Akashi especially after what happened. Cuddling on the couch at his home would’ve been most liked right then. But, he had to return home, talk to his mother and eventually Sei. Had to tell them of today but especially talk with Sei about the ring. 

He looked at his finger, the amber and ruby stone shining dimly as the light from outside shone onto it. He hadn’t been able to take his hand away from it, twisting it on his finger, regarding the silver. A small smile played on his lips. His gaze returned to Akashi. Without any words he leaned over and kissed him on his cheek. Whispered a thank you and then exited the car before Akashi could even think of opening the door for him again. He watched as the car drove away, how it disappeared in the night. 

A sigh left his lips, once again his fingers around the overly beautiful ring. His steps were light as he carried himself upstairs. He rang the doorbell. It didn’t even take seconds for the door to swing open and his mother to reveal herself. She tried to look at him with a straight face, her excitement though was visible in her eyes. He nodded only, he didn’t need any words, his mother knew what this was all about after all. She pulled him into a crushing hug at the entrance, he embraced her equally tight. When they broke apart she put her hand on his right cheek and looked him in the eyes the way she did since he was a small kid, every time he had accomplished something new, every time he only existed in her presence. The adoration in her eyes for her little son. 

“My baby finally grew up…” her voice was breaking. “Come on in, Kouki.”

He nodded and followed her into the living room. They sat down on the floor. She looked at him expectantly from over the table. He knew that she wanted him to tell, he however didn’t know where to start. He placed his hands on the table and that was when Ayano’s eyes lit up. Her eyes were on his ring.

“Show me,” she said holding her hand out, Furihata placed his hand in hers. “This is such a beautiful ring…” Her voice was hardly over a whisper and she regarded the piece from all sides. “He has good taste.” She then said smiling, and looked finally up.

Furihata didn’t know what he should answer for a second. His gaze travelled to the ring. That hadn’t been a ring Akashi bought. This ring meant so much more than that. He swallowed hardly before talking up.

“Actually… It was inherited. Someone who had a rather sad life story…”

His mother halted shortly and seemed to have a thoughtful look on her face then she squeezed Furihata’s hand. “Can you tell me?”

“I- I’m not sure. I…” He paused, looked on the ring and then back up to his mother.

“Don’t worry, love. I understand. Sometimes it’s better to keep a story untold. Especially if family is on the stake.”

“Maybe one day, mom… But not today.” He said, a sad smile playing on his lips.

“I understand.” She said with a smile and then let out a deep breath through her nose. “Now tell me, how do you feel? How was it today?”

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

“Sei?” He said not above a whisper and slowly entered his room. “Are you here?” His mother was still in the living room, and he really hoped she wouldn’t notice Furihata talking. 

“Yes.” Came the answer, Sei was sitting on his bed. “You want to talk?”

“Uhm… Yes…” Furihata showed a weak smile as he closed the door behind himself. His eyes turned to the ground; he really didn't know what he should say. There was a part of himself that knew for sure that the ring is important. He swallowed and-

“Congratulation, Kouki.” 

His head snapped up and he looked rather dumbfounded as he began to play with the ring on his finger. 

“Thanks…”

“Look at me.” Furihata was gnawing his bottom lip as he complied. He felt so nervous all of a sudden. “I know of the ring. Now calm yourself.” 

The surprise was visible in Furihata’s face as he looked to the other.

“JuJu talked with me. I agreed. Do you remember the day I told you to say yes to him?” Furihata nodded. “That was to answer him. I apologize for not telling you before. The surprise would not have the same impact then.” He showed a soft smile.

“I- No, I… I understand.” He was twisting the ring he realised and tried to stop his action. 

“Show me.” Sei pointed on the spot beside himself, signaling Furihata to sit down too. That he did. He sat down and showed Sei the ring. It shimmered in the dim light of his room. “Hotaka really had a good taste.” His voice was weird, it didn’t crack, there was so much endearment and yet… Furihata didn’t dare look up. ”JuJu changed the size, otherwise it would not have fit. He must have chosen a skillful smith. You cannot even see the piece was widened.”

The atmosphere in the room was weird to say the least, as if Sei was tiptoeing around a topic, as if he tried to get used to something. Yet again who could blame him? Furihata wore the ring the love of Sei’s life had given him, the one that died in such a cruel way in front of his very eyes. Furihata swallowed. A sigh left Sei’s lips.

“Kouki.” Furihata looked up carefully. “I am glad to have met you. This ring could have been never found, or it might have been found, never used or sold for a meager price. Even though seeing it on the finger of another person than me pains me, I am glad, honestly, so very glad, the person is you. That it was gifted to you by Seijuurou. I am glad this ring rests on the finger of someone who is in the same situation as Hotaka and I have been.” A sad smile stretched over his lips. “I wish you the best for your future, there might not have been a way to help me, however, I am honestly happier now than I have ever been for the past century. Seeing you two smile reminds me of all the good things of this world and I sure am glad that many things did change, some to the worse but a lot also to the better.” His eyes found Furihata’s. “Promise me only one thing.” 

Furihata nodded he noticed the way the colour of Sei’s eye changed. This rarely ever happened but at the same time he knew that this part would be at least as important if not more important than the part before. “Do not even dare to lose hope, do not dare to stop trying no matter what happens. I lost hope a lot of times, despised this world and believe me it is the worst place to be. I despised myself the most. It forces you to lose even that last bit of human you are, you drain lives, you drain people, you even drain yourself. You yourself do not even notice what huge of a toll it takes to stay guarded and cruel.” He paused looked to his side once and then back up. “No matter what happens from now on, do not lose what makes you you, the hope and the power to stand up again. That is how you have been since I met you. Never lose that.”

Furihata was silent for a long while. He didn’t exactly know how to respond. It took him a while to open his mouth.

“I promise.” he breathed out and then showed a small smile. His heart felt light yet heavy. The ring on his finger the hopes of a lost past but also the promise of a bright future.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The weeks passed by rather quickly as the preparations for the wedding continued. It would be a small and private party. They planned to invite a few of their friends and family members. It wasn’t like their marriage would be accepted by the Japanese government, yet it had sentimental value to promise eternities to each other. Akashi regarded the mansion they owned for generations, he had requested his father to hold the ceremony here. He had first been against it, and it had cost a lot of energy on Akashi’s side to convince his father. The thing was, as much as his father hated the idea of his son having not chosen the conventional lifestyle with a wife and later children, he couldn’t talk back against Akashi when he mentioned his mother. How she would have never done this, how Akashi saw it as important to feel her on his most important day. 

A sad smile quirked his lips. His mother always loving and accepting. So that was the only reason his father had obliged, he too had loved his mother dearly -more than he probably loved Akashi. Akashi swallowed hard when he looked up to his mother’s portrait. Her red hair so very warm, the garden she was painted in so very welcoming, the table and chairs were still at the same spot as in the painting. His eyes travelled down to the little signature. A delicately written name in calligraphy. A sigh escaped his lips.

Who could have guessed that their families had crossed paths even before Furihata and he had met. It took him a while to be able to turn his back on the portrait. When he did he talked to a few of the workers, and then after being content with what he heard he exited the building, went straight to the car and then finally drove over to Furihata’s place. Ayano, the sweetest woman Akashi got to know after so many years, was waiting for dinner. She tended to cook his favourite dish whenever he came over, however today they would talk about the wedding, about life in general. Akashi really looked forward to it.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

“Have you seen my necktie, JuJu?”

“No…” A pause. “Maybe it’s in our room. Look there.”

Furihata still felt giddy whenever he heard Akashi say our room. He had finally moved in with Akashi, his mother had practically told him to go live with his soon to be husband. Yet he had to admit it had been rather hard to just leave his old home, the way his old room suddenly felt rather lifeless after he removed all of his clothes and a few items he felt were important to take, was heartbreaking. The hardest part though was this feeling he had as if he was leaving his mother behind. He knew that he could visit her any time, yet it was hard. 

But now that he moved in with Akashi, he could only think of how nothing really had changed. They still shared the same room. He still visited his mother from time to time. This was also the time he realised that he was already moved in with Akashi. Right now though he needed to focus. He went inside their room and began to rummage through the layers of clothes and also a few cupboards. His search came to a halt when he saw a small box. It was green and rather worn out. 

He took it into his hand, regarded it from all sides, and wanted to open it. Somehow he felt like a criminal in that moment, it made him feel uneasy as he laid his hand on the lid, he nearly decided against opening it yet his curiosity had the better of him and he opened it slowly. His eyes widened slightly when he saw what was inside. It was the button Furihata had given him at the day he asked him out. A light laugh escaped his lips as he remembered that day it soon died down to a smile. It surprised him somehow that Akashi had kept the button, yet again he did too. He was about to put the button back into the box when something crossed his mind, he placed it neatly into his pocket and then put the box to where he found it. Akashi didn’t need a clue as to what Furihata might plan. 

“I can’t find my tie.” He finally said standing up and exiting the room.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

“I really hope this won’t be weird.”

“Kouki, the tailor knows you are JuJu’s soon to be husband, just go inside and make your request.”

“You have no idea how fast I can turn a conversation awkward, Sei.” 

“Well, Kouki, if you were to ask me I surely would suggest you to go inside instead of talking to yourself in front of the shop.”

A blush exploded on Furihata’s face when he heard Sei say that. He nodded and after clearing his throat he stepped inside the tailor. 

“Hello?”

“Good afternoon.” A young woman stepped up to him. “Oh, it’s you. Akashi’s fiancé.”

Furihata laughed nervously. “Ah- uhm.. Yes.” 

“What was your name again? I’m so sorry, I don’t think we had the honor to meet yet. Akashi only showed me a few photos of you.” Her smile was so sweet.

Furihata smiled back shyly. “I- uhm.. Kouki. Furihata Kouki.”

“Okay,” She clapped her hands. “How may I help you Mister Furihata?”

“I- Kouki is fine.” 

“Okay, Kouki it is then. How may I help you?”

“Uhm-” He shifted nervously from one foot to the other. “I came here to request a change for the suits.”

“Oh, okay. Follow me please. Your suits are in the back.”

Furihata hesitantly followed her, he looked to his side once and saw Sei’s asking look as he pointed towards the woman. He knew what he probably meant, but he would explain him later.

“So what would you like me to adjust?”

The suits looked amazing to say the least, they had chosen a colour between beige and white, since they wanted the suits to be easy on the eyes. “These look amazing.” He breathed out. “Now I’m not so sure anymore…” Mumbles too quiet to understand tumbled out of his mouth.

“Thank you, I gave the best I could.” She practically beamed as she said it, her face an obvious show of her emotions. It was endearing, really. “What’s your request? Please tell me.”

“Uhm- okay…” He gathered his breath and then took out a small box from his jacket’s pocket. He opened it and inside where two buttons. A golden one, from Furihata’s gakuran, and a grey one from Akashi’s school uniform. “C- could you replace the buttons closest to the heart with these?”

She had a thoughtful look on her face as she took the box from Furihata’s hand and then walked over to the suits. Her face set on a serious note. Then she returned Furihata’s side.

“Of course, I can do that.” She smiled. “I hope it won't sound like I'm trying to intrude... But can I ask why you want those buttons to be replaced? They are obviously not the same and... I doubt I am supposed to replace any other button but the ones closest to your heart?”

“No- I- Of course. I will gladly tell, it’s a memory I am actually quite fond of.” A soft look settled on his face as he looked at the suits and then on the hand of the woman. “These are mementos from the time I asked him out. It was the last day of school. You see, there’s this gesture one can make when having a gakuran as a school uniform. You give the person you want to date the second button of your gakuran since it’s the one closest to your heart. It's a way to ask someone out." Furihata laughed nervously. “And well, JuJu- I mean Seijuurou nearly made me cry on that day since he took his sweet time to respond. Even when he responded it wasn’t in words, he just ripped the button off his uniform, the one he thought was closest to his heart." He laughed when he remembered how Akashi had to fight with his button. “We exchanged our hearts on that day, so to say. These represent -at least for me- a part of our heart, the part that promises love and devotion.”

When he stopped telling and looked up. There was a fond smile on the lips of their tailor. He knew that she and Akashi were acquainted for a few years now. Akashi had told him that they had met by chance as he had been searching for a new tailor since he couldn’t get along with his last one. Even though the main reason for searching a new tailor was because his old one knew the family and Akashi wanted to make somewhat of a new start in at least some parts of his life. 

He couldn’t blame Akashi for liking her. She literally wore her heart on her sleeve, was respectful, the best part though was that she was a magnificent tailor who seemed to be forgotten by anyone else but them. As far as Furihata remembered Akashi and she became pretty good friends over time. She had always been rather grateful for him having chosen her as his tailor since her business had flourished thanks to that.

“That’s such a beautiful story.” She said once more looking down on the buttons. “I can understand why you would want these on your suits. I will do my best to give them the attention they deserve.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem, I will do anything for my favourite couple.” She winked at him.

Furihata gave her a small smile. “I am grateful, really. And I trust you as much as JuJu does.”

“That makes me happy. Thank you.”

“I’m sorry but I forgot to ask for your name. I know Ju- Seijuurou Invited you to our wedding. Yet here I am and don’t know what your name is.”

“Oh,” She laughed. “Of course. My name is Fareeha. It’s nice to finally having talked to you, Kouki. I really look forward to your wedding.”

“Uhm- one more thing before I leave, could you keep this as our secret until the wedding day?”

Fareeha laughed. “Of course, I will do my best to hide it from Seijuurou.” She showed a grin.

Furihata smiled back widely. Before the silence could turn awkward he began to talk again. “I’m sorry but I have to leave for today before anyone gets suspicious of my whereabouts and JuJu tries to find me.” He laughed.

Fareeha joined in soon. “He would do that, wouldn’t he? He gets worried easily.”

“He really does.”

“Then we’ll see each other at the wedding!” 

“I really look forward to see you again.” A smile was present on his lips as he talked on. “Then I will take my leave.” He placed his hand over his heart and nodded towards her. This was something Akashi showed him when he once told him about the tailor that was from another country. She disliked shaking hands so they said goodbye like this. He could see her beam at the gesture and do the same. It was really endearing how people could get happy thanks to small thoughtful gestures people showed them.

“Have a nice day.” She said waving her hand.

Outside the building Sei gave a weird last look towards the woman. Furihata for once was quite happy that nobody could see Sei, since he was acting rather rude at the moment.

“You have questions?” Kouki put in earphones.

“She is not from here, is she?”

“No, as far as JuJu told me she moved to Japan a few years back.”

“Her Japanese is impressive.”

“Right? This was the first time I met her and it felt like talking to the locals. Well, of course she still has a light accent, but it wasn’t much. It’s really impressive.”

“The thing on her head?”

“A hijab,” Furihata looked up to the sky. “I think it was because of religious reasons that she wears it.”

“Ah, I see.”

There was some silence between them before Furihata started talking again. “She is such a nice woman, right? I expected her to be respectful since JuJu seemed to like her, but I did not expect it like this. You warm up to her pretty easily.” A laugh escaped him.

“I noticed.” Sei laughed too. “She is also quite talented. Your suits look amazing and I am nearly sure she will do a good job with the buttons.”

“Me too.”

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The day of the wedding drew closer with every breath Furihata took. To say that he was nervous would be an underestimation. He hadn't visited the tailor nor the mansion Akashi so eagerly prepared for their wedding. He was dealing with nervous anxiety issues as he was at home and paced up and down. It was the fact that Akashi’s father would be there. It never really sat well with Furihata that he had to face that man. He had that weird scary aura around him Akashi had a long time ago. 

He bit his bottom lip as he sat down. The wedding was a week away and he still didn’t know how to behave or face Akashi’s father. He felt pathetic to say the least. What he wouldn’t give to avoid his own wedding. That his thoughts wouldn’t stop pushing all kinds of scenarios in his mind really wasn’t helping either. He sighed in frustration and stood then up. Maybe he should just prepare something to eat for once, alone that is. Normally they would do it together apart from days Akashi felt too exhausted, then Furihata gladly took the task over. He disappeared into the kitchen with all kind of doubts infesting his mind. He should be happy for god’s sake…

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The day had finally come. Kohaku was standing at the back of the crowd and watching. Everyone was talking and he had the slight feeling that he shouldn’t be a part of this… 

Yet again Furihata had insisted that he was the most important guest even though no one would be able to see him. A smile hushed over his features as his gaze trailed to Furihata and Akashi who were talking to their tailor. He was standing too far back to understand what was being said but he was sure that it was to thank her for the beautiful way she included the two buttons. Who could have guessed that she’d choose the breast pocket to sew the buttons on and adorn the pocket itself with ornaments that made the whole suit to something unique. Furihata had still somewhat teary eyes from the moment he had seen it and Akashi was still wearing that bright smile and excitement from when he saw himself and Furihata in the suits for the first time.

They both looked so happy. Kohaku however could feel some kind of dread creep up from the deepest corner of his heart. His face fell, to a somewhat sad smile. He wanted to imagine himself and Masaaki in those suits, wearing that happy face, looking like their dreams came true. A shuddering breath escaped his lips as he turned his face away, looked around the garden. The rose bushes full in bloom. Kohaku could feel a presence that felt akin to motherly love, even his ghosty being could feel it. Who knows what kind of contentment and love the other two felt. A feeling so very beautiful as if Akashi’s mother wished them her blessings from her grave, as if the roses were what brought that messages to these two. Maybe that was why the garden always smelled of roses no matter the season. Furihata had told him once that it always smelled like roses, a scent that calmed down his very being and that was clear as day. The prior nervousness and anxiety from the week before couldn’t be seen on Furihata’s face. Maybe it was too selfish of a request but he somehow wished that he too could leave something behind in this world. The remainder of his existence, something that would carry on if he ever were to be released from this world.

He shook his head with a sigh and then began to walk around a little, studied the faces of the people Furihata and Akashi had invited. Obligatory family members but also close friends. Especially the nosy lot that Kohaku had the pleasure to meet already. The ones Furihata had played basketball with and some Kohaku could still remember from the matches of the Winter Cup. They were noisy, talkative, some of them eyeing their surroundings in awe yet none of them seemed to be put off by their friends loving one another. A man loving another man. None of it seemed to matter. All of them only ate, drank, had fun. 

Kohaku would’ve lied if he said this didn’t make him emotional. He had been close to tears to be entirely honest. His little walk lead him back to the place the ceremony would be held. Furihata had told him that this wouldn’t be an accepted marriage by the government yet that the sentimental value counted for both of them. It was the symbol of a promise they had given each other ages ago. He noticed that the ceremony was about to begin, Furihata looked in his direction before he linked his arm into his mother’s. Kohaku had smiled at him, assured him that he was there, he wouldn’t leave until this was finished. Probably never. 

The ceremony as he was told was a odd one it was different since they had planned it to be held not right at the beginning but around the middle so that everyone had time to show up and then even to get to know each other before it began. So Kohaku watched the ceremony. Furihata being lead up to Akashi and Akashi wearing the biggest smile Kohaku had ever seen him have. Kohaku just watched from afar. His eyes glued to the event he so achingly wanted when he was still alive. Maybe his wedding would have looked different but that didn’t matter. He tried to push those thoughts into the back of his mind. Wanted to fill his mind with the happiness that he shared with Furihata with everything they lived through. His love, his pain, and their friendship. 

His heart was squeezing painfully in his chest. But for once it was not regret that punched his chest mercilessly, no, it was something else. It flooded him with a calm sensation and a smile that stretched across his face. This whole scenario made him realise that people like him had a chance in this world, they had a chance to be accepted, to not be killed, to not be seen as the filth of earth. True there were setbacks and the fight was not done but from what he had seen, what he was seeing unfold in front of him, was the indication for many more happy moments for many more couples that could share their life with the outside world without facing tremendous consequences. 

He closed his eyes for a moment, his vision had been so swimmy and his heart was swelling nearly quilling out of his chest. This was the most happy he had felt since forever, since he had lost Masaaki. The ring he had so dreadfully carved into his mind was filled with a silver lining, with the knowledge that it never was the seal that ended Masaaki’s and his love but just as Akashi had said, a key for another love to bloom, for another couple to find to one another. 

Kohaku didn’t believe in fate but this ceremony made him come close to it. And then he opened his eyes- 

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Akashi and Furihata had uttered their vows. Furihata was smiling so bright it hurt his cheeks but he couldn’t stop. This was too good to be true and he feared every time he let go of Akashi that this was a dream that he’d wake up to a tomorrow where he was back to being a teenager, back in highschool, back to being without Akashi. Yet that couldn’t be true. He was right in front of him, his smile as wide as Furihata’s, his eyes as always, telling more stories about his love than his mouth could ever say, than Furihata could ever understand. He looked on his finger again. The golden wedding ring glistening in the sun, a symbol only, but what an important symbol it was. 

People were applauding, his mother crying. Furihata could feel the wind tousle his hair, carrying the scent of roses to his nose. He inhaled deeply. 

“You know JuJu,” he whispered, leaning close to him. “I think your mother sends us her blessings.”

Akashi’s eyes widened when Furihata finished his sentence. His eyes looked pained yet his lips pulled up to a smile. He nodded and then he pulled Furihata into an embrace, breathing in and out for a second, shakily, before he let go. Then his hands held Furihat’s face between his palms as he pulled his head down to kiss Furihata’s forehead. Furihata could feel the tears on the other’s face on his hairline. Maybe those words meant the world to him, maybe having even the slightest hint of his mother’s approval was enough for him to turn into a small boy. Furihata smiled looking at Akashi. He heard someone ‘aww’ at them and realised then that they were still standing where the ceremony was held. 

They broke their gaze and again people applauded until the mass broke apart. They went their way, some going to eat something, some of them coming their way, congratulating them. Furihata however was searching for Sei. Again he was happy that Akashi was there to handle all those people. Furihata always became anxious the more people were around them and he only wanted to disappear at some point. His attention only returned when Akashi’s father stepped up to them. 

His presence always felt like a grey cloud ready to burst down a storm that had the power to kill. And so his voice too as he cleared his throat, sounded like a thunder to Furihata’s ears. He tensed and could also see how Akashi just slightly placed himself between the two. His arm a barrier that Akashi’s father was not supposed to cross. Furihata’s gaze wandered from one of them to the other. He could feel the tension more than he could see it. Their faces as always stoic, unreadable. 

Masaomi Akashi though soon turned his gaze to Furihata, disdain still written all over his face yet he nodded his greetings and wandered away. Furihata released a breath. His skin was still kind of prickly after having to withstand that gaze. 

“Prick.”

His eyes widened when he turned around to see his mother. She just had used a curse word around him for the first time in Furihata’s life. It sounded so weird coming from her soft voice. His head snapped to his side when he heard Akashi laugh amused.

“What?” Was her reply but there was an smile on her face. 

“Nothing.” Was Akashi’s graceful answer. “I can’t deny what you said.” he then added. Furihata was to this day happy that those two got along so well. He might not want to admit it but maybe they even got along better with each than his mother and he did.

“He really is something... that man. You should accept your family the way they are. I really don’t get the likes of him.” Her glare was directed towards Akashi’s father. “He should be ashamed of himself.” She mumbled something under her breath before she looked back to Akashi and Furihata. “Sorry for my rambling. Anyways my loves. You have no idea how happy I am for you two.” She pulled both of them in a tight and short embrace. “You have grown so much.” A tear rolled down her cheek.

“Mom.. don’t cry.” He couldn’t take to see her cry. No matter what the reason was.

“I’m sorry love.” She sniffled and then took a deep breath. “I love both of you my sons. I’m so proud of you two. I know you’ll take care of each other you did until now. And I wish you all the happiness of this world. You two deserve it.” She showed a bright smile albeit having red rimmed eyes.

“Thank you, mom.”

“Thanks.” 

They stood there for a while, looking at each other, taking in the calm feeling that they were a true complete family now. That this was what bound their lives now officially. 

“Now my darlings. I will be leaving you alone. I’ll be back soon.” She nearly left but then she turned to them once more. “Oh, and don’t forget to eat. The food is delicious.”

Akashi and Furihata began to laugh and nodded their agreement. Then she left the two of them alone. Furihata was somewhat relieved to be alone in the crowd. Everyone was doing something and not paying attention to them, at least for now. It gave him time to process everything. For him all of it still felt like a dream as if it could fall apart any given second. So he reached out for Akashi’s arm and held onto it. He was here. This was real. All of this was so unimaginable. That he of all people would have married Akashi Seijuurou, the invincible and cruel captain of Rakuzan. He smiled at that. He sure had seen more than one vulnerable side to him since they were together, he knew he wasn’t invincible… nor cruel. All this thanks to Sei. All of this because he suddenly appeared in his life. 

Then Furihata’s eyes widened. Where was Sei? He looked around and tried to find him amidst the crowd. The worst thing was he couldn’t ask anyone for help to find his friend. He tugged at Akashi’s arm.

“Yes?”

“I can’t find Sei.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, he promised he’d stay.” He looked around once again. Then he let go of Akashi’s arm and began to walk through the visitors searching for Sei. Where was he? Had something happened to him? His eyes flicked from face to face. This couldn’t be, he had to be somewhere. He had promised. He wouldn’t go today, he wouldn’t go without saying goodbye. Sei always kept his promises. That was what spurred him on on his search. He didn’t realise how desperately he was searching until Akashi held his arm and forced him to a standstill.

“Kouki. Calm down.” Akashi pulled him back to his chest and embraced him. “Shh,” he placed a kiss on Furihata’s temple, it was supposed to soothe him. 

Weird how people sometimes don’t realise what their own body is doing. He was trembling, then a hiccup caught in his throat. He buried his face in Akashi’s shoulder; only tears were what followed.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Akashi was holding onto Kouki. One of his hands at the back Kouki’s head and the other on his back drawing him closer to his chest. Drowning his sobs with his suit. Akashi knew what Furihata already realised. Sei wasn’t here. And he probably wouldn’t appear again. There was a wind from their right. A wind that hugged them with a promise, a wind filled with the smell of roses yet it was somehow different from how it normally smelled in this garden. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

“I think he sends us his blessings.” His voice broke he realised. Furihata trembled in his embrace, his sobs muffled yet there, very silently. He was happy that for once nobody paid attention to them. Or maybe they ignored them knowingly that they needed some time. He pulled Kouki away from his chest. He held his face between his palms and then looked into his eyes, smiling. “He is free, Kouki.”

That seemed to stir a different chord in Kouki and between the sobs there was also a smile, it wasn’t all sadness that dictated his hiccups now. It was a cry that mourned a friend’s loss yet was happy for his release from this world. Akashi once again embraced Kouki, felt the way he nodded and tried to regain his breath. Just a few hours left then they could return home. Was the only thing Akashi could think of. This day had been tiring… very tiring…

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Finally it was time for their leave, the ceremony was finished and the garden was being cleaned. Akashi had stayed back after sending Kouki off with his mother. He searched for the spot where Furihata had cried, where the wind had carried a different kind of scent. He was standing at the spot. Looked at the direction from where it had most likely come from. He walked down in that direction with a torch in his hands then he held the light towards the roses. 

His eyes widened when his suspicions were proven true. There was a new rose bush Akashi never remembered seeing there. It was still small only holding onto two roses. One of them red and the other yellow. If he had ever doubted Furihata for the past eight years each of his doubts flew away that second. He knelt down and inspected the rose. 

There was only one thought crossing his mind from then on. He had to take this rose bush with him and a small one of his mother. They would look beautiful in their apartment’s balcony. His steps lead him to one of the gardeners and he uttered his wish. The man looked bewildered but he nodded and complied without asking any questions. 

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Epilogue

In an apartment in Tokyo is a rosebush. The only one of its kind. Not because it sprouts roses of different colour, no. It’s because of the ring that was slid onto it by its owner. A young man with the most honest smile on the world. He had whispered apologies and his thanks for a ring that was the key for the beginning of his story, the key for his happiness. This ring having the value of little money, was what bound two stories to one, it was what brought misery upon one but a promising beginning to another. The rose wore this very valuable ring proudly on its stem as if it had always belonged there.

In the background an apartment filled with memories and a future that yet had to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay finally this story is finished!! Wohoooo we did it!!!!  
>  It took me over a year to finish this gift for you bree, I hope you like it as much as I liked writing it!!!!!
> 
> And to every one of you dear readers!  
>  Thank you for joining me on this journey,  
>  this story was a ride for me, I put in a lot of myself into this, my wishes, my hopes, my fears  
>  and even dreams that will never come true because of certain reasons
> 
> I loved writing this,  
>  and I hope you liked reading it
> 
> thanks so much for your comments up until now  
>  and as always!  
>  I would love to know your take on this story, what do you think? what did you like? let me know!!!
> 
> ~~Also, did anyone notice that the way Akashi asked for Furihata's hand was,~~  
>  ~~how he had planned with Momoi to ask him out in the first place??? x:~~


End file.
